Compositions having available trace elements and processes of making same and providing for nutrition of plants, shrubs, and trees

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING THE GROWTH OF PLANTS COMPRISING APPLYING TO THE PLANT A SOLUTION PREPARED BY THE PROCESS OF FORMING A WATER-SOLUBLE TRACE ELEMENT NUTRIENT COMPOSITION FROM SUFLONATED LIGNIN-CONTAINING MATERIAL, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE AVAILABLE SULFUR DIOXIDE AND HYDROLYZABLE SULFUR COMPOUNDS BY STEAM STRIPPING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF SULFONATED LIGNIN-CONTAINING MATERIAL, REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE FERMENTABLE CARBONHYDRATES FROM SAID SOLUTION BY FERMENTATION, HEATING SAID SOLUTION OF SULFONATED LIGNIN-CONTAINING MATERIAL UNDER ALKALINE CONDITIONS, AND ADMIXING SAID SOLUTION WITH AT LEAST ONE WATER-SOLUBLE METAL COMPOUND WHEREIN SAID METAL IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, ZINC, MANGANESE, COPPER AND MIXTURES OF THESE METALS, SAID METAL COMPOUND DISSOLVING IN WATER TO FORM IONS CONTAINING SAID METAL.