Fulvic acid the essence of good compost, soil and water

Few years ago many people never heard of fulvic acid. Now we hear it from the professional growers to increase the yield of agricultural and horticultural crops. Recently, fulvic acid can also be used as an animal and human health supplement to help the rejuvenation of cells. Fulvic acid, humic acid and humins are components of humic substances that are formed by the microbial decomposition of the dead plant matter. Fulvic acid is rapidly being recognized as one of the key complex elements in many outstanding living creature health and scientific breakthroughs for sustainability of our planet in the 21st century.

Humic substances are very important components of soil organic matter (humus) that affect physical and chemical properties and improve soil fertility. In aqueous systems, like rivers, about 50% of the dissolved organic materials are humic substances that affect pH and alkalinity. Humins, the major component in humic substances, comprises about 50% of the organic matter in soil that cannot be extracted with either a strong base or a strong acid. Humic acid is insoluble in water with low pH below 2. Fulvic acid is soluble in water with all ranges of pHs and has lower molecular weight and higher oxygen content compared to humic acid.

The colour of pure fulvic acid is yellow. Nothing can be mixed to create yellow. It is a natural or primary colour that represents life. The photos above are the pure yellow crystal fulvic acid (FA) and the trials to show that fulvic acid cannot be dissolved in 5 solvents such as toluene, isohexane, acetone, ethanol (EtOH) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) but only soluble in water (H2O). The photos can be zoomed to see detail.

What does it mean that fulvic acid is only soluble in water? It means that fulvic acid has a close relation with the health of all living creatures on earth, especially for plants. The healthy plants are more resistant against plant diseases and pests, thus will reduce the cost for integrated pest management.

Fulvic acid together with humic acid are the essence of high quality organic fertilizer such as worm castings or vermicomposts. The classical role of fulvic acid in improving plant growth is accomplished by releasing macronutrients in the soil so they are made available to the plants. For instance, in low pH below 2 if an aluminum molecule is binded with a phosphorus one, fulvic acid detaches them and makes the phosphorus available for the plant. 

Fulvic acid is also especially important because of its ability to chelate micronutrients and increase their bio-availability. The relatively new finding, fulvic acid, stimulates soil microbial activity by providing the beneficial indigenous microbes with a carbon source for food, thus encouraging their growth and activity to build-up the humus.

Compared to organic fertilizer, the NPK fertilizer or artificial chemical fertilizer is mostly lack in organic matter, humic substances, micronutrients (trace elements), plant growth regulators or plant hormones, beneficial soil microbes, and creates less water holding capacity and aeration in the soil that caused the soil getting harder to support the growth of the plants. Organic fertilizer usually contains about 20% of humic substances and amino acids.

During the process of composting by beneficial soil microbes and compost worms, not all organic material is converted into fulvic and humic acids. Both acids have the ability to absorb anions (e.g. nitrate, phosphate, sulphate forms, chlorine) and cations (ammonium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron) and facilitate the release of ions into the soil and make them available to plants. They also keep the soil moist, prevent dehydration, protect it from erosion and ensure the viability of beneficial microbes in the soil. Organic fertilizer can be made from organic waste around us.

Please visit us at www.burnabyredwigglers.com to learn more about how you can create your chemical free vermicompost for healthy vegetables from your kitchen waste. Learn how easy it is whether you live in a condo or a house. We’ll get you started with our simple starter package. If you have a larger scale of green waste, you may explore the opportunities of producing humic substances (humins, humic and fulvic acids) using the vermiculture technology to support organic farming and aquaponics.

– Bintoro Gunadi

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