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Humic Substances

in Biological Agriculture
by Lawrence Mayhew in less than 50 years by some agricultural to humic matter. All of them agree that

H
umankind has realized for practices. “younger” deposits of organic matter have
thousands of years that dark- The interest surrounding the use of lower concentrations of humic acid. The
colored soils with high humus humic substances arises from the necessi- concentration of humic substances in con-
content are more fertile than ty of understanding an essential compo- verted coal can be as high as 80 percent
light-colored soils. It has long been recog- nent of the most complex ecosystem on by weight.
nized that humic substances have many the globe — soil. The global movement Although humic substances can be
beneficial effects on soils and consequent- away from chemical to biological agricul- found in every scoop of soil and almost
ly on plant growth. Anywhere on the ture is encouraging some of the best every drop of water on the Earth, no one
globe where there is soil or water associ- minds in the scientific world to solve the has succeeded in the last 200 years at
ated with organic matter, humic sub- great mystery of how these substances describing their structure. The
stances are present. They cause the operate in the environment. chameleon-like humic substances can
brownish tint often seen in natural As information-age agriculture moves rapidly rearrange their molecular struc-
streams, the darkness of dark soils and the towards biological methods, the world is ture as surrounding conditions change.
dark brown color of weathered lignite compelled to reconsider the post-World The worldwide usage of humic sub-
coal. War II paradigm of indiscriminate use of stances is extensive. Their benefits in
Humic substances are the most widely high-energy input, highly soluble, toxic agricultural soils is well established, espe-
distributed organic products of biosynthe- chemical resources. Natural humic sub- cially in soils with low organic matter.
sis on the face of the earth, exceeding the stances are destroyed by conventional They are an integral part of all ecosystems
amount of carbon contained in all living practices, but they can be replaced by and play an important role in global
organisms by approximately one order of proper management practices. cycling of nutrients and carbon.
magnitude (that is, tenfold). Humic substances are the most widely Humic substances are extremely versa-
Soil organic matter is defined as the distributed products of biosynthesis on tile. They provide a concentrated and eco-
total of all naturally occurring organic the face of the earth. Besides soils, they nomical form of organic matter that can
(carbon-based) substances found in soils can be found in varying concentrations in replace humus depletion caused by con-
that originate from living things. The a number of different sources: rivers, ventional fertilization methods as well as
process of changing from recognizable lakes, oceans, compost, sediments, soils, being used in biological programs. The
bits and pieces of plants (or animals) to an peat bogs and soft coal. addition of humic substances to soils,
amorphous, “rotted” dark mass is called As the use of humic substances in agri- including calcareous soils, can stimulate
humification. Humus is defined as the culture grows, the number of vendors of growth beyond the effects of mineral
organic matter in soil, a mixture of par- humic products is also growing. nutrients alone.
tially and totally humified substances. Historically, the typical supplier has been
Most humic substances result from plant a small, privately owned operation locat- HUMIFICATION
matter subjected to the natural process of ed where the materials can be easily Humification is the natural process of
decay. Humic substances make up about removed with basic equipment. Because changing organic matter such as leaves
80 percent of the soil organic matter in humic substances are typically associated into humic substances by geo-microbio-
dark soils. with coal deposits, large coal-mining logical mechanisms. Compost is an inter-
Humic substances in soils are the dark companies are beginning to realize that mediate product consisting of humic sub-
brown, fully decomposed (humified) the market for these materials can be stances and partially decomposed organic
remains of plant or animal organic matter. attractive. matter. As the conversion process contin-
They are the most chemically active com- There are a number of theories that ues, different chemicals dominate at dif-
pounds in soils, with cation and anion attempt to explain how coal is converted ferent times. Complete conversion to
exchange capacities far exceeding those humic substances will eventually occur.
Reprinted from
of clays. They are long-lasting critical Unlike most other natural biosynthetic
components of natural soil systems, per- processes, humification occurs in a com-
sisting for hundreds or even thousands of plex, chaotic “open” system where there
years — although they can be destroyed Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, Nos. 1&2 is no “closed” control of the process by
enzymes, cell structures, membranes or
cellular transport systems. With the infi-
nite variety of plant materials that exists in
Barley Test
nature and with the infinite access to Fertilizer Tissue Analysis Plants/row Yield bu/acere
chemical radicals, humification should Nitrate ppm Total N%
produce infinitely variable humic sub-
stances. It would seem impossible to find 16-20-6 1,275 4.4 68 47.3
two humic molecules with the same struc- 15-22-5 945 4.8 84 47.6
ture. 10-10-5 L 1,025 4.7 96 53.5

CONFUSION
& NON-STANDARDIZATION There was a 12 percent increase in yield in the barley test, despite the fact that the
Humic substances have been a matter leonardite-treated crops had relatively low-nitrate nitrogen. The significant yield
of scientific controversy for over 200 advantage was attributed to increased tilling.
years. They are incredibly complex col-
loidal supermixtures that have never been
separated into pure components.
Inconsistent use of terminology and the
Potato Test
previous lack of standard materials for Fertilizer Tissue Analysis Specific Gravity Yield
comparison purposes have compromised Nitrate ppm Total N% Cwt. Bu/acre
the ability to translate the sparse amount
of scientific knowledge to practical appli- 16-16-8 820 4.7 1.095 162 270
cations in soil environments. 10-10-5 L 1,600 5.2 1.096 134 224
Traditionally, humic substances have been
defined by their solubility in aqueous
(water) solution at arbitrary pH levels and The potato test plots reveal that a 95 percent increase in plant-tissue uptake of nitro-
molecular weights. gen was possible even though 35 percent less nitrogen was applied with the leonardite
The use of numerous names to fertilizer combination.
describe commercially available humic
materials has contributed to the confusion.
Humates, humic acid, leonardite, brown
coal, lignite, slack lignite, oxidized lig- Sugar Beet Test
nite, weathered lignite, humalite, fulvic
acid, fulvates, ulmic acid, humic shale, Fertilizer Seedling Yield
Emergence Tons/acre Sucrose% Sucrose lbs./acre
carbonaceous shale, colloidal minerals,
humin, concentrated humus, soil organic 5-45-5 175 8.873 17.0 3,010
matter, peat, humus acid, humus coal and 10-10-5 L 140 10.925 15.9 3,474
dead organic matter are some of the terms
that are used to describe and/or market
Sugar beets treated with the fertilizer-leonardite combination yielded 23 percent more
humic substances.
tonnage per acre and 15 percent more sugar per acre.
Non-standardization and confusion is
not limited to humic substances. For
example, many labs are using soil tests Some scientists have added to the con- BENEFITS OF HUMIC
that may not accurately determine soil fusion surrounding humic substances by SUBSTANCES
organic matter content due to oversimpli- refusing to study the materials, calling While the complete structure of humic
fication. There are numerous tests for soil them “dirt,” thus putting a drag on the substances has eluded scientists, their
organic matter, but there is no standard- flow of scientific knowledge and the study effects on everything from apples to zuc-
ized test protocol for all soils. Some of the of their beneficial effects on soil and chini have been extensively studied.
tests for soil organic matter have to be plants. Humic substances are renowned for
interpreted with much caution. The establishment of standard refer- their ability to:
Additionally, conventional analyses do ence material by the International Humic
not predict possible adverse interactions Substances Society has helped remedy • Chelate soil nutrients
of trace elements. some of the communication problems. • Improve nutrient uptake, especially
The society is composed of scientists phosphorous, sulfur and nitrogen
from all over the world who are striving to • Reduce the need for nitrogen
Reprinted from
understand the structures and functions of fertilization
humic substances. • Remove toxins from both soils and
animals
Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2 • Stimulate soil biological activity
• Solubilize minerals recommending the use of humic sub- is used in some laboratory extraction pro-
• Improve soil structure stances to prevent nitrogen leaching on cedures. A typical Iowa soil under con-
• Act as a storehouse of N, P, S golf courses. ventional agricultural management retains
and Zn its carbon for as little as 90 years.
• Improve water-holding capacity for PELLETIZED LEONARDITE The negative effects of high soil acidi-
better drought resistance and One of the biggest obstacles to using ty have been extensively researched.
reduction in water usage humic products is the dustiness of the dry Liming, the use of dolomitic limestone
materials, making them almost impossible (calcium magnesium carbonate),
Extensive research on the stimulatory to handle. Liquid humates are easier to improves soil productivity by providing
effects of humic substances has been con- handle, but their use is restricted to foliar cations of calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium
ducted by the USDA-ARS soil lab in application at very low concentrations. (Mg+) The carbonate ions raise the pH by
Minneapolis, Minnesota, and worldwide. Because of extremely low application combining with the excessive hydrogen
Most of the research conducted in Eastern rates, they have no effect on soils. The protons.
Europe on improving nitrogen utilization water-soluble derivatives from alkali The ability of humic substances to
has not been translated into English. extractions are only compatible with high- complex with cations such as calcium is
Depending on the form of fertilizer pH liquids, and they are expensive. decreased as the bulk pH of soils goes
applied, nitrogen may become a structural Pelletizing humic substances can improve down (that is, as they become more acid)
component of humic substances as a sta- their handling and allow them to be due to aggregation of the humic mole-
ble organic material, preventing it from blended with fertilizer “in the row,” where cules. The aggregation reduces the expo-
leaching through the soil. In their natural they can do the most good. sure of functional groups, cutting off the
state, humic substances contain anywhere A team of scientists with the U.S. access of nutrients to the molecules.
from 1 to 5 percent nitrogen. Bureau of Mines, University of North Functional groups attached to carbon
Dakota, combined standard NPK fertilizer chains are primarily responsible for the
NITROGEN MANAGEMENT with leonardite into a pelleted form. biochemical characteristics of organic
Other effects of humic substances Although the addition of leonardite low- compounds.
include increased CEC (cation exchange ered the soluble analysis for NPK to
capacity), stabilization of soil structure, 10-10-5, thus lowering the relative HUMIC ACID, FULVIC
and the reduction of nitrogen and phos- amount of applied fertilizer, the pelleted ACID & HUMIN
phorus fertilizers. The importance of leonardite combination (10-10-5 L) was About 200 years ago, the names humic
humic substances to the fertility of soils effective on barley, potatoes and sugar acid, fulvic acid and humin were used to
and the stabilization of nitrogen has been beets. describe what workers believed to be three
well documented. One study done by a Despite the fact that the results concen- distinct fractions of humic substances. The
science team from West Texas A&M trated primarily on yield — typical of three fractions were separated from various
University and the USDA-ARS demon- conventional NPK fertilization programs materials by using “classical” extraction
strated the potential of humic substances — the report underscores how humic sub- techniques with aqueous (water) solutions.
in reducing ammonia emissions from feed stances can improve nitrogen utilization First, the humic material was treated with a
lots. and impact overall crop quality by strong alkali (base), then an acid was added.
If there are sufficient humic substances increasing the efficiency of fertilizers (see The acid caused a coagulated, black,
present, up to 35 percent of the soluble tables at right). Additionally, the reduction sludge-like material to precipitate out of
nitrogen applied to soils as fertilizer can in nitrogen usage demonstrates the envi- solution. They named the precipitate
be retained in the soil in organic forms at ronmental significance of using humic “humic acid.”
the end of the first growing season, thus substances blended directly with fertiliz- The remaining mixture that survived the
converting the nitrogen to a stable, ers. base/acid treatment consisted of an acidic
bioavailable form. liquid and a solid. The liquid was named
The ecological impact of nitrogen CARBON CYCLING “fulvic acid,” and the solid that was unaf-
applied to turf grass is increasingly com- The carbon held in soil humic sub- fected by the treatments was named
ing under the scrutiny of the public sector stances is so stable that it can be retained “humin.” Despite the fact that manufactur-
and the federal government. Because of in soils for thousands of years, depending ers use variations of these operations, which
this pressure, humic substances have on conditions. The sheer complexity of don’t necessarily duplicate the process
become the most commonly used organic these materials may explain why they are described above, the names “humic acid,”
materials in golf course turf management. not broken down more quickly by micro- “fulvic acid” and “humin” persist.
After 45 years of research, C. Edward bial action. It is possible that the surfaces Potassium hydroxide is the typical
Clapp of the USDA-ARS Department of of humic substances are unrecognizable to alkali used by manufacturers to extract
Soil, Water & Climate in Minneapolis is microbes. humic acid from leonardite. Since the
Conventional fertilizers rapidly age remaining liquid solution is very alkaline,
Reprinted from
soil components, resulting in acidification in the range of 8 to 12 pH, it is incompat-
of soils and dissolving the humic materi- ible with acids. Here lies some of the con-
als with soluble nitrogen. Urea is so effec- fusion, the humic acid synthesized by this
Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2 tive at dissolving humic substances that it operation is not actually an acid. Because
it can also be described as the product of Fractation of Humic Substances” that the tive ingredients become incorporated into
adding acid to an alkaline solution, it is a composition of humin is the same as the humic complex.
salt — therefore the word “humate” may humic acid and fulvic acid. They say that
be more appropriate. humin may be a humic substance in asso- COMPLEX
Some manufacturers follow the tradi- ciation with mineral oxides or hydroxides GEOBIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
tional method described above by treating (from the reaction), or that humin may be The lower molecular weight (the mass
the alkaline extract with acid, precipitat- coated with hydrocarbons or lipids (fats) of a substance expressed in gram equiva-
ing out the humic acid portion, leaving stripped during the reaction, making them lents of its atomic mass) of fulvic acid is
behind the so-called fulvic acid fraction in insoluble to aqueous solvents. Nobody sometimes said to account for its greater
solution. The fulvic fraction is acidic, really knows for sure. biological availability. That is somewhat
with a distinctive yellowish tint. Note, Some people think that fulvic acid is correct, but vague — the industry has not
however, that the operation is vague. more biologically active than humic acid agreed on standardized molecular weights
There is no definite pH at which the pre- because of its smaller molecular size. for fulvic acid. Defining humic acid, ful-
cipitate and acid are separated. There is some truth in these representa- vic acid and humin by their molecular
As various fractions of humic sub- tions as there is evidence that the lower weights is a controversial concept.
stances are soluble in a wide pH range, it molecular weight fractions have the abili- Some wet chemistry techniques can be
makes sense that some fractions must be ty to cross plant membranes and improve used to characterize different humic mate-
soluble at neutral pH. Some manufactur- permeability of cell walls. It is true that rials. For example, the carbon-oxygen
ers treat humic materials with water, fulvic acids have a higher “total acidity” ratio is used by some to determine the
presence of functional groups. There may
be some merit to this, as functional groups
are high in oxygen content. The difficulty
with wet chemistry techniques is that they
The carbon held in soil humic substances is so stable rarely mimic the real environments in
that it can be retained in soils for thousands of years. which these materials are expected to per-
form.
Humic substances change their struc-
ture depending on pH and the type of
metals present. High pH (or the presence
extracting the water-soluble fraction, call- than humic acids, but the chemical reac- of multivalent ions, such as calcium
ing that fraction either fulvic acid or “col- tivity and chelating ability of humic acids Ca2+) makes humic substances open up
loidal minerals,” which are promoted in is equal to or greater than fulvic acid, their long-chain polymers, whereas low
human neutraceutical markets. Fulvic making them very bioactive substances. pH makes them close. In the presence of
acid can be operationally defined as “the The humic acid fraction may be more toxic metals, humic substances remove
fraction of humic substances that is solu- effective than fulvic acid at solubilizing the metals from the surrounding environ-
ble in water under all pH conditions.” extremely stable aluminum and iron phos- ment by forming insoluble aggregated
The marketing of humic substances is phates. spheres around them.
interesting in that there is a lack of stan- Thirteen carbon nuclear magnetic res- Humic substances are polymer-like
dardized analysis within the industry for onance and mass spectrometric analyses molecules that demonstrate self-organiza-
fulvic acid and humic acid. For example, have revealed that the main structural fea- tion. The bi-layers formed by humic sub-
if liquidized humic materials are subject- tures of humic acid, fulvic acid and humin stances to surround otherwise insoluble
ed to analysis, it is difficult to determine are nearly identical. To scientists who minerals are reminiscent of the way all
what the analysis reveals because of the study humic substances, the names have living things utilize biochemical reac-
infinite number of re-associations of free no meaning chemically. Some scientists tions. The self-organized (micellular) col-
radicals that are possible during the say that humic substances from different loidal phases act like biological molecules
extraction process. Some scientists argue sources are essentially the same. in cellular systems, showing a strong
that the reaction products are substances Reported variations in plant response resemblance to the biological mecha-
created by alkali treatment as complex to different sources of humic substances nisms of living membranes, as described
degradation products, stripped of many of are rare. In one case reviewed by Y. Chen in college textbooks. Humic substances
the original functional groups and recom- and T. Aviad in “Effects of Humic are more like living creatures than chemi-
bined into an indescribable material. This Substances on Plant Growth,” the young cal entities, but they don’t reproduce.
may seem to be a nit pick, but some sci- age of the humic materials were suspect, Slight changes in pH will actually
entists like to argue about it. because humification is a time-dependent cause the humic polymers to fracture,
The humin fraction gets very little process. As the material ages, more bioac- breaking up the original molecules. The
attention. It may seem somewhat inert, fractured molecules are then free to asso-
Reprinted from
but it has been described as acting like a ciate with numerous other free radicals,
sponge, soaking up nutrients. M.H.B. metals or impurities. Humic substances
Hayes and C.L. Graham report in are made up of hundreds of different mol-
“Procedures for the Isolation and Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2 ecules of many different sizes (polydis-
Reprinted from

Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2


persity) with many ways to orient them- IN SEARCH OF A STANDARD Low pH may be a broad indicator of open
selves by twisting, bending, compressing, A large percentage of manufacturers sites for chelating or complexing reac-
and expanding (conformational changes). are using the services of A&L Western tions and an indicator of the relative con-
They are held together loosely by weak Agricultural Laboratories to determine centration of functional groups. A pH of
forces in a colloidal state. the quality of their humic substances. about 3.8 is acceptable. An ash content
Any change in solution pH, concentra- A&L Western offers two methodologies over 10 percent is not unusual, indicating
tion or the presence of metal ions — espe- for humic substance analysis: the the degree of association with clay miner-
cially calcium ions — will cause huge California Department of Food and als or other contaminants. CEC, pH and
changes in the physical makeup of the Agriculture (CDFA) method and the A&L ash analyses can be performed by many
humic molecules. Even slight changes Western method. The CDFA method is a laboratories.
cause the molecules to change in orders of quantitative analysis of humic acid. This
magnitude. Rapid changes in molecular method reports the acid-insoluble fraction GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
structures are not unique to humic sub- of humic material. The analysis is report- Silicon, iron and aluminum are among
stances — water molecules, for example, ed on an “as received” basis (includes the most abundant elements in the Earth’s
change their structure 10 trillion times a moisture). The result can be mathemati- crust and the most common minerals
second. Although water is an extremely cally converted to a dry-matter basis associated with humic substances.
simple molecule, the determination of its report. Finding a humic substance low in con-
structure at any given instant is still not The CDFA method is based on the taminants is challenging, but not impossi-
fully known. The amazing complexity of operational definition of humic acid. This ble. Since humic substances are com-
humic substances may forever keep their technique, however, only uses a portion of posed mostly of carbon, a high carbon
structures a secret. the methodology described by the content can be used as a crude measure.
International Humic Substances Society Loss on ignition (LOI) is less reliable, but
FULVIC ACID method, which analyzes both humic and may be used to confirm the presence of
The primary reason why there is so fulvic acid fractions. The Standard carbon because organic material is burned
much confusion about humic substances Methods for Soil Analysis of the Soil off during this high-temperature proce-
is the fact that the procedures used to Science Society of America, as stated by dure.
describe them are based on “classical” R.S. Swift in “Organic Matter Geochemical analysis (Table 1) for
aqueous extraction. If minerals are pres- Characterization,” states that the IHSS total carbon, organic carbon and metal
ent in the parent material, they become method is broadly accepted and can be contaminants can be done by an ISO
complexed by humic substances. This performed in most laboratories. The accredited lab, such as Acme Analytical
allows more humic and non-humic mate- CDFA method is a compromise, because Laboratories, 852 Hastings Street,
rial to be solubilized during extraction by the fulvic fractions are completely Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1RS,
breaking down ion bridges that would ignored — the fulvic fraction is actually phone (604) 253-3158. The Group 4A and
normally hold the molecules together in discarded during the process. 4B whole-rock geochemical analysis tests
higher-purity materials. Unless the super- The A&L Western method is a qualita- for all major elements, 43 trace elements
natant is separated by special procedures tive analysis, designed to report all of the and toxic metals.
(such as passing over an XAD-8 resin) to alkaline-soluble humic materials in a Examples of geochemical analysis
isolate the fulvic portion, the extracted sample. It consistently reports a higher (Tables 1 and 2) and humic acid analysis
substances may contain amino acids, pro- percentage of “humic acid” than the (Table 3) of leonardite from nine different
teins, sugars or fatty acids in addition to CDFA method. It cannot be converted to a mine sites in North America are present-
the fulvic acid. “dry basis.” The A&L Western method ed. Aside from the consistent report for
In biological molecules, it is an estab- may mimic some of the industrial process pH and sodium, the results demonstrate
lished fact that the presence of functional used to extract humic matter from oxi- how there can be variations in CEC, met-
groups such as carboxyl, phenol, quinone dized lignite. However, the base extrac- als, ash, carbon, sulfur, minerals and
and hydroxyl are responsible for the tion method cannot discretely remove humic content in various leonardite
activity of these molecules. There is some unwanted materials, nor can it prevent the sources. The report for sodium is intrigu-
evidence that there are more functional extracted materials from recombining ing because there are many claims that
groups in fulvic than in humic acid. The with free radicals or contaminants. oxidized lignites of freshwater origin are
effectiveness of fulvic extracts may be Therefore, the A&L Western method supposed to be lower in sodium than
influenced by the way they are synthe- more than likely includes non-humic those derived from ancient sea bottoms.
sized during chemical processing. The materials as well as humic substances.
fulvic fraction of humic substances is It is important to know the cation ENHANCING NUTRIENT
undoubtedly a beneficial part of oxidized exchange capacity (CEC), since these BIOAVAILABILITY
lignites. materials are renowned for that character- Studies of the direct and indirect
istic. It should be in the range of 100 to effects of humic substances on plant
Reprinted from
200 (on a dry-matter basis) as analyzed by growth have repeatedly shown positive
the ammonium saturation method. Low effects on plant biomass as long as there is
pH is very important because the acidity sufficient mineral nutrition. Stimulation
Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2 initiates the dissolution of rock minerals.
of root growth is generally more apparent um in combination with humic substances for “fulvic” acids, the higher molecular-
than stimulation of shoot growth. should make a powerful combination. weight components (humic acids) also
For many years, the stimulatory effects Many of the benefits of calcium over- engage in solubilizing minerals, have a
of humic substances were attributed to lap with the benefits of humic substances. higher capacity for stimulating biological
hormone-like activity because the action Also, the low pH of humic substances activity, and exhibit greater potential for
of humic substances was similar to aux- along with their biological stimulation chelation. In natural soil systems, the two
ins, cytokinins and absisic acid. This is no and chelating capacity combined with the components may act synergistically by
longer the case. The stimulatory effects of right dry-calcium source may perform as complementing each other.
humic substances have been directly cor- well as, if not better than, chelated liquid Humic substances also chelate iron,
related with enhanced uptake of macronu- products and calcium chloride. zinc and copper and complex with many
trients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and Furthermore, because humic substances other trace elements. Elements typically
sulfur, and micronutrients, such as Fe, Zn, are known to complex both cations and found in natural phosphate minerals, such
Cu and Mn. anions, creating a synergistic effect, the as zinc and copper, are known to suppress
Humic substances enhance the uptake combined benefits should be greater than pathogens and encourage the growth of
of minerals through the stimulation of the individual ingredients. beneficial organisms.
microbiological activity. Humic sub- In theory, the enhanced benefits should These phenomena have environmental
stances actually coat mineral surfaces result in increased: implications as well because the solubi-
with a membrane-like bi-layer, which aids • Biological release of nutrients from lization of rock phosphates by humic sub-
in the solubilization of otherwise insolu- otherwise insoluble minerals stances can reduce the need for industrial
ble compounds by dissolving, complex- • Root growth acidification of rock phosphate used for
ing, and chelating the dissolved nutrients. • Nutrient uptake from the larger the production of phosphatic fertilizers.
The bioavailability of nutrients root mass Industrial production of phosphate fertil-
released from rock minerals by biological • Respiration izers is extremely inefficient and creates
activity is enhanced in the presence of • Photosynthesis enormous waste piles that are burdened
humic substances. Geomicrobiologists • Mineral bioavailability with contaminants. Additionally, 60 to 80
have reported that organic acids generated and stabilization percent of all highly soluble phosphate
by microbial activity directly influence • Nitrogen stabilization fertilizer applied to soils is lost to the
the rate of dissolution (release of nutri- and fertilizer efficiency environment.
ents) from rock minerals. • Disease resistance Colloidal humic substances are part of
The implications of this research are Indeed, recent research has demon- natural soils and help retain nutrients in
astonishing. Whereas conventional farm- strated how the combination of dry calci- the soil system through soil stabilization
ers are faced with the mandated reduction um with leonardite performed as well as and the stabilization of nitrogen.
of soluble fertilizers, sustainable/biologi- calcium chloride and EDTA, a popular Furthermore, the complexing action
cal/organic farmers can take advantage of synthetic chelating agent. keeps the minerals in solution instead of
the microbiological release of nutrients precipitating (locking up) with soil iron,
from insoluble minerals as the humic sub- HUMIC SUBSTANCES aluminum and rare earth elements.
stances stabilize and improve the & ROCK PHOSPHATES
bioavailability of the minerals that are in The ability of humic substances to sol- APPLYING THEORY
soil solution. ubilize and complex with natural minerals TO PRACTICE
such as rock phosphates is well docu- Because of their ability to improve fer-
CALCIUM mented. The bioavailability of nutrients tilizer efficiency, humic substances are best
Humic substances are becoming released from rock minerals by microbio- utilized as part of a total fertility program
renowned throughout the world for their logical activity is enhanced in the pres- blended into the fertilizer. Programs that
importance in agriculture, especially their ence of humic substances. include rotations, green manures, cover
ability to chelate nutrient minerals and Humic substances can improve the crops, livestock manure and compost are
increase root mass. The benefits to soils effectiveness of rock phosphates by caus- the best methods to derive the full effect of
and plants are extensive and correlate well ing the release of PO43- anions and Ca2+ humic substances. However, the most
with the benefits of humus, organic matter cations from hardly soluble rock minerals effective form, dry leonardite, is an
and calcium. because of high total acidity and its abili- extremely dusty material. As discussed in
It seems reasonable to conclude that ty to complex and chelate the resulting the previous installment, scientists have
humic substances saturated with unwant- solutions and to stimulate microbial thus experimented with a pelletized form,
ed cations and heavy-metal contaminants metabolism. and Midwestern Bio-Ag has developed its
may lower bioavailability and the efficacy Natural leonardite is a complex super- own pelletized leonardite supplement.
of the product. Therefore, it is important mixture of high and low molecular-
to seek out a high-grade, uncontaminated weight humic substances. The lower Reprinted from

source. Since there are many sites on a molecular-weight constituents (fulvic


humic molecule for acceptance of cations, acids) are primarily responsible for the
it seems reasonable to conclude that calci- solubilization of phosphate minerals.
Jan-Feb 2004 • Vol. 34, No. 1&2
Contrary to the typical marketing claims
Research has also confirmed that com- ores. Because humic substances are pow- More information on humates, includ-
bining rock phosphate with leonardite can erful complexing and chelating entities, ing citations for the scientific literature
increase the available phosphate analysis association with silicon, aluminum or iron discussed in this study, is available by
from near zero to over 10 percent. (typically found in clays) may influence request from Midwestern Bio-Ag, phone
Considering that the total P2O5 content of the materials in soil systems. Research 1-800-327-6012, or by accessing their
the rock phosphate was 20 percent, we based on the agronomic effectiveness of website at <midwesternbioag.com>.
can conclude that over 50 percent of the humic materials (oxidized lignites) from
total phosphorus was released from the different sources has not been performed. Richard Lamar has a great deal of
rock. The released minerals may exist in a experience analyzing oxidized lignites.
chelated form, providing an environmen- CONCLUSION He is currently with EarthFax, a soil
tally safe, bioavailable form of calcium The conventional tools of chemistry reclamation, civil, geotechnical and
and phosphorus, while avoiding the have not been able to explain why these environmental engineering firm, where
industrial pollution, energy waste and materials work in complex soil ecosys- his lab is set up to analyze humic sub-
groundwater contamination created by tems. They have all the qualities of humus stance using techniques that follow the
highly soluble phosphate fertilizers. in a compact convenient package. IHSS protocols. EarthFax can be
Although examination of the microscopic reached at 1770 North Research Park
SUMMARY detail and structure of humic substances is Way, North Logan, Utah 84341, phone
Humic substances are formed by a currently not achievable, their beneficial (435) 787-2743, e-mail <rlamar@
process called humification. The humifi- properties are evident. The ecological and pcu.net>, website <www.earthfax
cation process is chaotic, with innumer- plant-nutritional benefits provide suffi- .com>. R.S. Swift’s “Organic Matter
able reactions occurring under countless cient justification for using these extraor- Characterization” is included in
conditions. The process occurs over geo- dinarily complex eco-minerals. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3:
logical time, therefore younger deposits If the supply side of the industry so Chemical Methods, available from the
of humic materials generally have lower chooses, a set of standards could be Soil Science Society of America, phone
concentrations of humic acid. adopted by a professional society or trade (608) 273-8080, fax (608) 273-2021,
Humic substances are critical compo- group representing the industry. An inde- website <www.soils.org>.
nents of water and soil ecosystems, which pendent laboratory could monitor the
are essential to soil genesis and the global standards. Some of the best and brightest
cycling of carbon and nutrients. The inter- professionals in the industry are working
actions among microbes, clays and miner- toward that goal.
als are dependent upon humic substances. Standardization of materials may also
The vast agronomic and environmental provide a basis for acceptance by state
importance of these materials is just fertilizer regulators. Anyone in the supply
beginning to be appreciated. industry should seriously consider joining
Distinctions based on molecular mass the International Humic Substances
(weight) or the quantity of functional Society to communicate the industry’s
groups and fulvic acid content seem use- needs to the scientific community.
less if there is no agreement regarding the Besides, scientists need to be reminded
methods used to evaluate the materials. sometimes that there are many good peo- Acres U.S.A. is the national journal of sustainable
agriculture, standing virtually alone with a real track
The quality of natural humic materials ple who can benefit from their knowl- record — over 30 years of continuous publication.
can be assessed by pH, CEC, total car- edge. That knowledge needs to be com- Eash issue is packed full of information eco-con-
bon, total organic carbon, and association municated to everyone, not just other sci- sultants regularly charge top dollar for. You’ll be
with calcium, silicon, sulfur, iron, alu- entists. kept up-to-date on all of the news that affects agri-
culture — regulations, discoveries, research
minum and toxic contaminants. The con- For the consumer, there is an endless
updates, organic certification issues, and more.
centration of humic acid and fulvic acid variety of applications for humic sub-
can be analyzed by some labs since stan- stances, both as agronomic inputs and as To subscribe, call
dard reference materials and procedures human health aids. Humic substances are 1-800-355-5313
for the extraction and analysis of humic part of an environmental engineer’s tool- (toll-free in the U.S. & Canada)
substances are available from the box for the bioremediation of toxic con- 512-892-4400 • fax 512-892-4448
International Humic Substances Society. taminants. Humic substances are possibly P.O. Box 91299 • Austin, TX 78709
The agronomic effectiveness of humic the most versatile natural substances ever info@acresusa.com
materials may be influenced by the pres- known. Or subscribe online at:
www.acresusa.com
ence of metals associated with the natural

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