Farmers Review Africa Sept/Oct 2019 Farmers Review Africa September - October 2019 dig | Page 20

FEATURE
product. It is surprising that this
organic substance has remained
so unstated and poorly utilized.
Making use of such a product
will help to effectively prevent the
loss of nutrients and protect the
environment at the same time.
compounds through the process
known as photosynthesis. Anything
the plant does not need is exuded
through its root system to feed soil
organisms, whereby the carbon
becomes humified, or rendered
stable. The main component of soil
organic matter is carbon, it helps
to give the soil its structure, water-
retention capacity, along with its
fertility.
Greater fertilizer and chemical
efficiency
Humic acid prevents soil conditions
that lead to runoff and volatilization
– the molecules work to quickly
increase organic matter and bind
nutrients to soil particles until they
are needed by plants. The humic
and fulvic acid molecules stabilize
the chemical fertilizers in the soil,
decreasing the typical 50-80%
loss that occurs in most situations.
This is an obvious plus for your
pocketbook and the environment!
It has been stated that there are
some pools of carbon housed in
soil aggregates that are so stable
that they can last thousands of
years. This contrasts with “active”
soil carbon, located within topsoil
which is in a continual flux between
microbial hosts and the atmosphere.
Using a product such as Organic
Water Extracted Humic Acid®, can
help us in the process of treating
the soil as a renewable resource.
It can help fight against such things
as soil erosion, which carries with it
organic carbon, into waterways.
The soil carbon becomes burned
when the soil is exposed, it oxidizes
causing the soil carbon to burn.
With the aide of Humic Harvest,
they can guide us to an alternate
trajectory with the use of their
products.
Scientists are still trying to learn
how they can make the most of the
soils CO2 sequestration capacity.
Using an organic approach by
adding beneficial microbes to
stimulate the soil cycles that have
been interrupted by the overuse
of insecticides, herbicides and
fertilizers. Programs that offer
agroforestry, offer more diversity
in species, and can maximize
the storage of carbon than
monocultures.
Biochar is produced when plant
matter, manure, or other organic
material is heated in a zero-or
low oxygen environment—for its
ability to turn problem lands into
productive sites while building soil
carbon at the same time. Lands
such as those that have been
abandoned after soil degradation
are excellent candidates for
reforestation and replanting with the
use of the biochar from the weeds
now growing there.
When it comes to our croplands the
how we grow them may be just as
important as what we grow. Most
wild plants are perennials, they have
strong, deep root structures that
help in the nourishing and stabilizing
of the soil they grow on. However,
most agricultural crops such as
corn, wheat, soybean and rice are
shallow-rooted annuals, that do
not offer the same soil support as
the perennials. The result is often
poor-quality soil with low carbon
content, even in well-managed
cropland. Learning to develop
food crops that have perennial
traits could help to address
this problem. You could
also give Organic
Water Extracted Humic
Acid® a try and watch
your garden grow while
reducing the carbons
in the atmosphere.
An important way of
transporting carbon
into soil is through
root, or mycorrhizal,
fungi, this helps to
govern the give-and-
take between plants
and soil. It has been
discovered
through
research that plants with
mycorrhizal connections
18 | September - October 2019
can transfer up to 15 percent more
carbon to the soil than their non-
mycorrhizal counterparts.
Mycorrhizal fungi are often marked
by thread-like filaments called
hyphae, that extend the reach of
the plant, thus increasing access
to nutrients and water. The hyphae
have a sticky substance coating
them called glomalin, which was
discovered in 1996, which was
found to be instrumental in soil
structure as well as carbon
storage. It has been advised by
the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
that land managers
should protect glomalin
by minimizing chemical
inputs and tillage, and
making use of cover
crops to keep living roots
in the soil.
Using agricultural Humic
acid such as Organic
Water Extracted Humic
Acid® is the best input
for organic farming and
sustainable agriculture.
Many producers around
the world have yet to
experience this wonder,
and utilize this innovative
Humic acid’s chemical efficiency
boost doesn’t just apply to fertilizers,
however. Due to its effect of
increasing the permeability of plant
cells, it can be mixed with similarly
reduced rates of herbicides,
pesticides, fungicides, etc for better
results by using less. There is also
the beneficial component that humic
acid acts to bind with and break
down chemical residues in the soil,
decreasing their long term negative
impact.
Increases Cation Exchange
capacity
Cation exchange capacity is crucial
for nutrient mobility and biological
function in the soil.
Stimulates beneficial biological
activity
Humic and fulvic acid contains
oxygen in its molecular structure,
and provides this oxygen to
beneficial soil biology, even if the
soil itself is very low in oxygen.
Healthier, stronger plants are
naturally more resistant to pests
and disease
It has long been observed that the
healthier a plant is, the more naturally
resistant to pests and disease it is.
Chemical herbicides, pesticides,
fungicides, etc serve to kill off the
invader, but do nothing to support
the long term health of the plant or
the soil it depends on. Humic acid
helps to boost the entire system as
a whole, enhancing the plants native
defenses against any type of invader.