New humic-acid based soil conditioners
Based on extensive field and greenhouse experiments, it could be shown that by the combination of different soil conditioning materials, the effect of increased plant growth and water saving can even be improved. The company Hoogen used these results to develop the innovative soil conditioner HumiComplete® which combines water-storing, nutrient-storing and soil structure-building characteristics with the benefits of humic-acids.
HumiComplete® was developed to meet the needs of cultivations grown under extreme climatic and edaphic conditions like drought, nutrient deficiency and unfavourable soil structure.
HumiComplete® has been tested in greenhouse experiments and field applications. At present, it is further evaluated in the research project BAtroS in cooperation with the Technical University Brandenburg and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn, funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, Germany.
The composition of HumiComplete®
Experiences with HumiComplete® in the greenhouse
Experiences with HumiComplete® in the field
The composition of HumiComplete®
NutrientsDue to its complete composition, HumiComplete® delivers nutrients that are instantly available as well as in the medium and long term. Nutrients are bound in a plant available form to protect them from leaching due to high precipitation or watering. The humic acid content in HumiComplete® increases the availability and the up-take of macro- in micro-nutrients.
Structure
Various compounds in HumiComplete® improve soil structure and thereby the aeration and water balance of the soil as well as plant root growth.
Water
storage
The basic formulation of HumiComplete® contains various water storing components. For extremely arid environments, HumiComplete® Desert-Green was developed.
Organic
Matter
Organic matter fulfils many important functions in the soil. HumiComplete® delivers various sources of organic matter which are partly resistant to fast degradation. Additionally, HumiComplete® is blended with humic acids providing all their positive effects on soil characteristics, plant growth and health.
HumiComplete® is free of animal manure/residues and wastes. All its components are from natural resources. It accomplishes the German law of fertilizer and soil conditioners (DüMV).
Next to an improved plant growth, the application of HumiComplete® can significantly reduce the amount of irrigation (25 to 50%). The saving of water does not only have an ecological aspect considering the local water balance and soil quality but also has considerably economic advantages.
The application of HumiComplete® has a high potential for the re-vegetation of soils in arid and semiarid climates. The benefit of the products can be summarized as follows:
Visibly
better and healthier plant growth
Economization
of water and thereby high operation costs
Reduction
of mineral fertilizer application
Increase
of organic matter in soil
Protection
of natural resources
Environment-friendly
re-vegetation of degraded soils
In many countries, the deficiency of organic matter is covered by the application of animal manure, sewage sludge or compost deriving from city waste and green waste. These sources of organic matter are degraded very fast under hot and humid conditions and their fertilizing effect gets lost. Humentos® helps to bind nutrients deriving from organic matter and/or mineral fertilizer. HumiComplete® delivers organic matter that is not degraded instantly.
Experiences with HumiComplete® in the greenhouse
Greenhouse experiments were successfully run with corn (Zea mays), gras (Festuca rubra, Dactylis glomeratus), alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) . As substrate, sandy soil was used. During the experiment, temperatures reached maxima of 50-55 °C.
Corn. Already under standard cultivation conditions, providing the plant with sufficient water and nutrients, HumiComplete® resulted in increased shoot biomass. Under water shortage (50% water reduction), HumiComplete® DesertGreen increased biomass production by more than 100%. Under leaching conditions, which occur due to excessive watering or an unfavourable soil structure, HumiComplete® was able to bind the nutrients and to improve plant growth by more than 30%.
Grass. Also, grass showed a significant positive response to HumiComplete® with a biomass production that was up to 2,5 times higher than the control under reduced irrigation (50%) and reduced fertilization (70%):
Alfalfa. Alfalfa proved to be particularly sensitive to drought. By the addition of HumiComplete®, survival of the plants as well as biomass production have multiplied considerably:
Experiences with HumiComplete® in the field
In October 2005, a field experiment was established within an alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivation in the desert. On plots with a dimension of 15m x 5m the humic acid product Humentos® (200 L/ha) and two versions of HumiComplete® (10 t/ha) were applied, respectively, and mixed in the top 15 cm soil layer. The cultivation was irrigated as usual.
In May 2006 the experimental site was inspected. Plant height was measured and plant and soil samples were taken. A considerable difference in plant height between the treated and untreated plots could be observed.
The following figure shows the positive effect of the soil conditioners eon biomass production (dry weight). All soil conditioners resulted in increased values. Particularly HumiCompleteB (=DesertGreen) had a significant plant growth stimulating effect, which can be attributed to the additional water storing components.
Within the research project BAtroS, HumiComplete® is tested in post mining areas in Brandenburg, Germany. Here, we have to deal with sandy soils, a lack oforganic matter and low precipitations. cultivated plant species are
