Fulvic Acid Sub-Fractions and Research Data.

Numerous studies demonstrate the positive effects of humic substances on improving plant growth, root structure, nutrient uptake, and yield. Products from Bio Huma Netics^®, Inc. utilize a proprietary process to refine organic acids derived from humic substances into small sub-fractions (less than 500 Da) called Micro Carbon Technology^®. These sub-fractions have unique characteristics: greater specific surface area, lower molecular weight, and higher cation exchange capacity.

Laboratory and field results demonstrate that these characteristics can increase the efficiency of nutrient uptake in plants. Several studies are reviewed herein that have compared nutrient complexes containing sub-fractions of fulvic acids (FA) mixed with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and silicon (Si) versus conventional fertilizer products.

In the first field study on wheat, a mix of these sub-fractions combined separately with phosphoric acid and with urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) contributed to the highest grain yield in comparison to conventional ammonium polyphosphate (APP) plus UAN, and diammonium phosphate (DAP) plus UAN.

In another field study, fertigating blueberries with a mix of the sub-fractions complexed with potassium hydroxide increased the concentration of leaf Ca by 24% and improved the sugar:acid ratio in the fruit by 17% in comparison to conventional potassium sulfate and compared to potassium sulfate combined with a humic acid.

Lastly, a laboratory study on rice demonstrated that a mix of these sub-fractions complexed with sodium silicate, limited the inorganic arsenic (As) uptake and accumulation in the rice grains by 25 ug kg^-1 than the control.

These studies contribute to the conclusion that organic acid sub-fractions are effective in improving efficiency of plant nutrient uptake, increasing yield, enhancing fruit flavor, and helping to limit inorganic As uptake. Further studies are needed to replicate these results and to expand testing of other essential nutrients determining the full benefits of these proprietary organic acid sub-fractions.