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Humate Benefits

By Pepperpot
Edited by St0ney

Humate is highly compressed, natural organic humus, the decayed remains of tropical rain forests which existed millions of years ago in what is now the southwestern United States. Because of the tremendous amount of living bacteria present, humate was formed instead of coal. Humate has a high humic acid content (humic acid is one of the most biochemically active elements in humus). The minerals and trace elements contained in humate are readily available to plants through the complex process of chelation. Adding Humate is the most efficient way to increase the humus content of soil, as it is highly compressed and much easier to apply than any other form of humic matter. Also, since Humate is completely decomposed, it enters into no nutritional competition with plants for nutrients such as nitrogen (not the case with incompletely decomposed compost).

Using Humate restores the natural balance in soil necessary for optimal plant growth. The following are some of the results you can expect from applying Humate.

Increased Root Growth

A consistent result from all crops tested was increased root growth. Length, density, and radius of plant roots dramatically increased. Tests have shown that root system vigor is very important to the nutrient uptake capability of plants, as well as to the plant's ability to combat disease. In addition, plant stability is enhanced, and plants are better able to find and absorb water with a broad based root system.

Increased Chlorophyll Content

Humic matter has been shown to increase the chlorophyll content in plants, and can prevent or correct chlorosis.

Increased Nutrient Uptake

Humate has been shown to consistently improve the uptake of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, as well as innumerable trace elements essential for plant health. This is due to the biochemically active nature of humic acid, and it's ability to form both soluble and insoluble complexes with various metals, minerals, and organics. Nutrients are mobilized in forms that the plants can accept.

Improved Quality of Plants

Humate can improve the quality of fruit, vegetables, and flowers by improving their physical appearance, and in the case of food crops, their nutritional value. Cereal crops have shown a more balanced amino acid content, and a higher protein content. All of this can enhance their worth in the marketplace. In addition, since Humate is completely organic, the crops can be sold as organically grown produce, often commanding a higher price.

Enhanced Natural Defenses

The biochemically active nature of humic acid works to enhance a plant's natural defenses against toxins and disease. Many toxins are inhibited or neutralized by bonding interactions with humic acids. In addition, biologically active compounds (such as antibiotics and phenolic acids) found in healthy humus can enhance plant resistance to some diseases. Finally, plants which are healthy and receive all of their required nutrients are better able to combat disease and pests.

Improved Soil Structure

Humus combines with clay minerals to form structural units called aggregates. These help to stabilize the soil and increase it's permeability to water and gaseous exchanges. Also, life forms such as bacteria and earthworms, which are dependent on humus content, contribute a lot to the maintenance of the soil structure. The use of humate can prevent soil cracking, which exposes roots to the air and can cause crops to burn in severe heat conditions. Since organic matter is soluble, soil with a high humus content is less likely to be subject to water and wind erosion.

Improved Water Retention

Humate can hold up to 20 times its weight in water. By enhancing the soil's ability to retain water, humate usage can reduce the need for crop irrigation. This can be especially helpful with sandy soils, and contributes a large measure of drought resistance to crops.

Soil pH

Because of the chemical bonding interactions of humic acids, plants are able to grow in soil with more widely varying pH values. Humates function to buffer the pH, bringing it into a neutral range. Both acidic and alkaline soils are neutralized. Nutrients previously bound in the soil due to acidic or alkaline conditions become available to the plant roots. Humic substances also liberate CO2 from calcium carbonates. CO2 may be taken up by the plant or may form carbonic acid which acts on soil minerals to release plant nutrients!

Source: www.plantea.com

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