Humates Application

Humates can be applied with cover crops, even mixed with the seed in a broadcast application. They enhance the fertility and hardiness of cover crops and when applied with fertilizers they benefit the cover crop as well as the following crop during the growing season.

Humates help in stimulating the root zone, improving the flocculation of clays and improving the aeration of soils. All of these processes aid in improving the water holding capacity, water penetration and aeration of soil. Humates also strengthen the plant through the stresses of both drought and flooding conditions.

Yes, humates can be applied with pesticides but keep in mind that over time humates may start decomposing pesticide hydrocarbons that can render them ineffective.

Raw Humates are considered to be organic by most certifiers including OMRI. However, during certain processes (water solubles, additives for stability, liquid extractions, etc.) they may lose their organic certifications.

We recommend applying raw humates in the Fall. This allows the humates to break down over the winter and boost soil tilth before planting the next Spring. That being said, the very best time to apply humates is now! With a variety of products ranging from raw humates to extracted liquids, we can customize your next humates application as per your needs.

Yes, humates can help alleviate crop stress caused by heavy metals and excessive pesticides in the soil. They can also help eliminate tied-up nutrients and aid with the decomposition of toxic substances.

Applying humates is a helpful approach to desalinate soil as they can help with buffering salts while acting as a biostimulant to boost plant growth through the sodic stress.

Dry  humates are made up of several key components including humic acids, fulvic acids, humin, and minerals. Most liquid products do not contain the humin fraction.

Humates are significantly beneficial in no-till and minimum till systems. They facilitate the decomposition of organic residues in soils and increase the recycling of nutrients tied up in organic matter. Liquid and soluble powder forms of humates may provide a stronger response than raw humates.

Yes, adding humates can further improve soil rich in organic matter. Humates have a high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and will enhance soil’s microbial, chemical, and physical properties. The biostimulant effect of the humates will be the key driving factor. Much of the high organic matter soils have tied up nutrients and adding humates can help in the bioavailability of those nutrients.

Our dry humates are typically broadcast between 150-300#/ac/yr. This rate can vary based on economic factors, soil conditions, fertility needs, and cropping history. For water soluble and powders, a typical application is about 1-2#/ac, while liquid products range from 4-8qts/ac. Overapplication is extremely difficult, but it may occur over 1000#/ac.

Humates come in various liquid and dry forms and can be applied at any stage of crop growth. You can apply them with seeds, dry or liquid fertilizers, in furrows, as foliar sprays, or alongside pesticide applications. For best results, it’s recommended to apply raw humates in the fall, allowing them time to break down into humus before the next cropping season.

Yes, adding raw humates is beneficial even if you’ve applied manure. Humates work synergistically with manures by helping to break down toxic materials, salts, and other residues, which improves nutrient availability. If you’re investing in manures, adding humates can enhance their effectiveness, potentially allowing you to reduce the amount of manure you use while cutting down the cost.

Yes, you can reduce fertilizer rates by up to 15% with the addition of raw humates. Humates with functional groups complex with both cations and anions to increase bioavailability of fertilizers. However, if applied to a hygroscopic fertilizer like urea, it would be ideal to add prilled humates (a type of processed humates with a thin coating to avoid taking up water.)

Growers typically notice improvements after applying humates within the first cropping season. Smaller carbon forms interact with nutrients and microbes more quickly, while larger humate particles take longer to break down and become active. The higher the surface area, the greater the ability to interact. Extracted liquids or water soluble humates can react faster as they have already undergone some breakdown.

Humates contain carbon chains with functional groups that release tied-up nutrients and help retain them in the soil solution by complexing with carbon. When applied to live crops, raw humates act as biostimulants, enhancing crop vigor and resistance to abiotic stresses. Humates indirectly boost microbial populations through root exudates and the breakdown of carbon chains. Over time, they increase root mass and root fines, contributing to increased amounts of soil organic matter.