In order to better understand how Live Earth Products works with fertilizers and nutrients you need to first discuss soil organic matter. All of the products we manufacture are based on a mined humic shale. Humic shale contains many organic acids that are part of a normal soil environment.  Most people talk about the organic matter of soils as a group without discussing humic acids, which are the the end result of decomposition. Below is a quick overview of soil organic matter composition and the results of the humification process.  

Generally speaking, most organic matter is removed from the soil and not  returned  which causes a decrease in the soil organic matter.   This is especially prevalent in new house construction The organic matter degrades from plant residue to active organic matter on into the passive organic matter grouping. If the organic matter is not returned the cycle is stunted and you see a decrease in the total soil organic matter in cultivated agriculture. Organic matter can be separated into two main components: the active fraction, which turns over in period of 10 to 25 years and a passive fraction which turns over in hundreds of years. The active fraction is the part responsible for nutrient cycling and is composed of living organisms, their metabolites and decaying plant and animal residues. The passive fraction is the more humified material that has undergone mainly reactions that condense and polymerize humic substances that are resistant to microbial degradation. The degradation of the two fractions on cultivated agriculture soil is indicated in the image below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most methods of adding organic matter are done with green manure, compost, or animal waste. All of which contribute to the plant residue, which is important to increasing the humification process of the soil. A large portion of the residue added is digested by microbes and respired as C02. The percentages respired are shown indicated  below ranging from 60 – 80% loss.

 

Soil organic matter is perhaps the single most important indicator of soil quality and productivity. Increasing the organic matter and humic components is important for the following reasons:

• Benefits crops by providing storage for nutrients and water
• Binds soil particles together so that they resist erosion
• Improves soil structure and tilth which allows water, air and nutrients to move readily to plants
• Binds pollutants such as pesticides, organic wastes and heavy metals
• Part of the soil cation exchange complex which holds many nutrients and resists losses to leaching

This is where Live Earth Products are extremely effective. Adding a concentrated humic acid is a good way to quickly enhance the passive fraction of a soils organic matter. This can be done in conjunction with any type of commercial or organic fertilization program. Live Earth in the granular form is commonly added to current fertilizer practices at a rate of 250 – 600 lbs per acre.  They do not leach and can remain active in your soils for over a hundred years.

Live Earth 6% liquid humic acid is commonly added to liquid fertilizers to help prevent leaching and increase soil properties. Liquid humic acid is best used when water mixing to be sprayed onto crops or injected into a waterline. Liquid humic acid penetrates deep and help breakup hard soils and increases fertilizer retention. Commonly it is added at a rate of 2 - 8 gallons per acre in a year. Soil properties and microbial population are improved with the addition of humic acid into the soil.

LM-32 is a liquid fulvic acid with 60+ trace minerals. Add this liquid as an adjuvant to help increase the penetration of pesticides or any foliar-fed nutrient. It can be added at any pH without precipitation. Fulvic acid is plant derived and 100% natural.

 

In a nutshell, all of our products are based on one of the three core products mentioned above. Any nutrients added are intended to compliment the soil conditioning properties along with binding that nutrient to carbon for better utilization.

 

 

This entry was posted on Monday, February 23rd, 2009 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Expert Blog, Landscaping, SMART BLOGS, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.