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  • From: Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>
  • To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: humic acids
  • Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 11:51:44 -0500


Victoria,

I don't buy humic acids, I "make" them through composting. But Here's some
info on them
from Elaine Ingham's Soil Foodweb web site:

"Humic acids, the long molecular weight, long chain portion of humics. Again,
the
condensation of the chains of materials make enzymatic attack of this material
difficult, just as difficult as lignin. Only fungi can use this material, and
for the
most part, only fungi produce the long molecular weights chains as metabolic
by-products
of their metabolism. The action of extra-cellular fungal enzymes also produce
humic
acids from smaller chain materials in soil. These reactions resulting in the
building of
ever-more complex molecules are called condensation reactions, and result in
the most
recalcitrant, most difficult to break down soil organic matter. The
"half-life" of humic
acids in soil may be 300 to 3000 years. Only fungi have the enzymatic
abilities to
consume this material. As a saving account, it can't be beat, but the more
nasty and
condensed the material, the less likely it is to be a source of food that
will result in
improved fungal growth. Be careful of the color and smell of humic acids. The
nasty,
impossible to use humic acids smell like tar or petroleum products (which is
what
petroleum is - really old humic acids). Use the brown to dark brown, NOT
BLACK, humic
products."

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm

"Victoria M. Bhavsar" wrote:

> Hi everybody,
> Does anyone use humic acids as a soil additive? If so, what kind of
> results are you getting and how do you know they are from the humic acid
> additive? Not meaning to be fussy, but trying to give my students a
> clearer picture.
>
> Thank you,
> Victoria
> *************************************
> Victoria M. Bhavsar
> Dept. of Agronomy
> N106R Ag. Sci. North, UK
> Lexington, KY 40546-0091
> 606/257-2103
> ...But other seed fell into good soil and brought
> forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold,
> some thirtyfold... St. Matthew 13:8
> *************************************
>
> ---
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  • humic acids, Victoria M. Bhavsar, 01/17/2001
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: humic acids, Alex McGregor, 01/18/2001
    • Re: humic acids, Victoria M. Bhavsar, 01/18/2001
    • Re: humic acids, Alex McGregor, 01/23/2001

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