The increase in the demand for fertilizers world-wide has drastically increased the cost of fertilizers. In addition to the cost, availability may be difficult in the coming years. Whether due to cost or availability many growers are looking for alternatives and products to improve yields with less NPK fertilizers. We would like to suggest humates.

Humate Benefits

• Improved Water Retention, and water holding capacity
• Humates can hold up to 20 times their weight in water. 
• Humic substances can enhance the release of fixed K from montmorillonite soils.
• Addition of humic acids can increase P uptake by 25%.
• Humic substances will increase length, and number of lateral roots, seedling growth after germination, nutrient availability and nutrient uptake.
• These substances also affect a wide range of enzymatic processes.

Humates, play a vital role in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Plants grown on soils which contain adequate humates are less subject to stress, are healthier, produce higher yields, and the nutritional quality of feeds are superior. Humic substances are important in soil fertility and plant nutrition because of the part they play in the life cycle on earth. The life-death cycle involves a recycling of the carbon from plants to animals through the soil and air and back into the living plant.

Humates have been “forgotten “ when it was discovered that soluble acidic based N P and K fertilizers could stimulate plant growth. Continued use of these acidic fertilizers has decreased humic substances in the soil. This decrease is the main cause of leaching and erosion. Giving higher priority to soil humus and humates is a must to improve soil condition and yield.

Humic substances are recognized by most soil scientists and agronomists as the most important component of a healthy fertile soil. In addition, by understanding how these carbon containing substances function, professionals will have a solid foundation on which to design truly “complete” fertilizer recommendations.

Humic substances neutralize the soil pH and liberate carbon dioxide. Repeated field studies have provided evidence that the addition of humic substances to soils helps to neutralize the pH of those soils. Both acidic and alkaline soils are neutralized. Once the soil is neutralized, many trace elements formerly bound in the soil are available to plants.

Humic substances also liberate carbon dioxide (CO2) from calcium carbonates present within the soil. The plant may take up the released CO2 or it may form carbonic acids. The carbonic acids act on soil minerals to release plant nutrients. The application of either dry or liquid humic substances to soils dramatically increases fertilizer efficiency.

Humic substances enhance uptake of major plant nutrients. As the level of humic substances in soils become depleted the misleading demand for higher concentrations of N P and K results. Many growers have over the past several years reported increasing demands for soluble acid fertilizers in order to maintain crop yields. 

Increased leaching of nitrate fertilizer into the ground water is  a warning of poor soils and reflects the loss of soil humic substances.

The above article was condensed from:

ORGANIC MATTER, HUMUS, HUMATE, HUMIC ACID, FULVIC ACID AND HUMIN:
THEIR IMPORTANCE IN SOIL FERTILITY AND PLANT HEALTH

Dr. Robert E. Pettit
Emeritus Associate Professor Texas A&M University

Read Dr. Pettit’s entire article by clicking on the title

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