Agri-Hume
High concentration soil amendment
Response of field and vegetable crops grown on Texas Department of Corrections farms to Agri-Hume fertilisers and organic carriers.
Introduction
Procedures
Results & Discussion
Response of Cotton
Response of Rice
Response of Green Beans
Response of Carrots
Response of Squash
Summary
Introduction
Commercially marketed humus, humate and humic based products derived from
mineral laden carbonaceous residues deposited in the earth have recently
been recognised as up-to-date fertiliser grade materials useful for agricultural
production. Fertile soils have long been recognised to contain humus (various
organic materials) which give the soil its brown or black colour. Through
modern cultivation and production practices organic matter and soil humus
have been rapidly depleted in agricultural field soils. In order to maintain
the soils productive capacity humus levels must be replenished in some
way.
Humic deposits mined in certain regions of the US have been demonstrated to provide agricultural grade humate fertilisers and base ingredients for the extraction of components termed humic acid, fulvic acid and ulmic acid These acid extracts can function as base carriers for soil and foliar fed trace element fertilisers. When trace elements, those required by growing plants, are mixed with certain combinations of these acids they are modified to render the elements more readily absorbed or taken up by the plant tissues.
The following report presents examples of crop yield results obtained on Texas Department of Correction agricultural farms. Field plots on these farms were treated with Agri-Hume products marketed by HumaTech Inc. of Katy, Texas (NPK Ltd in the UK).
Procedures
Three agricultural grade Agri-Hume products were applied on the
soil and on row crops and/or vegetable crops. Some of the crops tested
were; cotton, corn (maize), grain sorghum, rice, green beans, cucumber,
sweet corn, squash, tomatoes, pumpkins and watermelons. The three products
used were Agri-Hume, a dry humate based soil applied fertiliser;
Maximize, a liquid extract from the Agri-Hume dry humus;
and Macro-plus, a blend of liquid humic and fulvic acids with the NPK,
sulphur, iron, zinc, manganese and calcium. Macro-plus is recommended
for use as a complete 2-16-4 liquid trace element fertiliser to be applied
to plant foliage.
Agri-Hume was applied to the soil pre-plant at a rate of 40 lbs per acre using a disc spreader.
Maximize was applied to row crops in the field at a rate of 10 litres per hectare.
Results and Discussion
Specific examples of crop responses on several farms, to the application
of the HumaTech products were summarised. Results of these experiments
provide a basis for evaluating the value of humate based carriers for
improving the uptake of major plant nutrients, trace elements and pesticides
used in plant production programmes.
Response of Cotton
A test field of 500 acres cotton was grown on the Ellis unit farm to test
the influence of humates. Within this field 115 acres was left untreated
and 360 acres was treated with Agri-Hume and Maximize. The
growing period had adequate moisture for optimum growth of the cotton.
|
Acres Planted
|
Yield/Field
|
Yield/Acre
|
Increase
|
Increased Profit
per Acre |
|
|
Untreated
|
115
|
57,590 lbs
|
500 lbs
|
||
|
Treated
|
360
|
24,185 lbs
|
578 lbs
|
178 lbs/ac
|
$96.95
|
Note: Gross income increase per acre of the treated field over the untreated cotton field was $120.75. The cost of material and application was $23.75/acre. Thus the profit was $96.95/acre.
Charlie Lohrke, with the Eastham unit, treated 150 acres of
cotton and compared the treated field with an untreated field. Growing
conditions were less favourable for cotton at the Eastham unit compared
to the Ellis unit. A severe drought reduced cotton yields by more than
50% at the Eastham unit.
|
Acres Planted
|
Yield/Field
|
Yield/Acre
|
Increase
|
Increased Profit
per Acre |
|
|
Untreated
|
145
|
31,320 lbs
|
216 lbs
|
||
|
Treated
|
150
|
41,700 lbs
|
278 lbs
|
62 lbs/ac
|
$43.40
|
Note: The 62 acre increase in yield represents a 28.7% increase of the treated over the untreated cotton. This increase more than paid for the material and application cost in a field where the environmental conditions were unfavourable for growing cotton.
Three cotton fields on Texas Department of Corrections farms were treated with Agri-Hume and Maximize for a total of 797 acres. A summary of collected yield data indicated that an average increase of 144 lbs per acre was harvested from the treated areas. At a price of £0.70/lb this represents a gross average increase of $100.73/acre. With an average material and application cost of $232.90/acre this represents an overall net profit of $76.83/acre. With a total of 797 acres in three treated fields this translates into an overall profit of $61,234.
Response of Rice
A rice field at the Darrington unit was subdivided into two separate plots
positioned to prevent movement of water from flowing into the untreated
plot. One portion of the field was treated with Agri-Hume and Maximize.
Overall yield data indicated an increase of 6 barrels of rice on the treated compared with the untreated fields. This represented an increase of 970 lbs/acre. At a price of $0.25/lb for rice the gross income increase for the treated compared with the untreated plot was $242.50/acre.
Response of Green Beans
Two green bean fields, each composed of 20 acres were used to determine
the value of applying Agri-Hume products to one half of each field.
Treatment of 10 acres in the first 20 acre field (designated Field A)
was with Maximize applied pre-planting with 11-37-0 base dressing.
Midway in the season a second application of Maximize was applied
as a foliar spray (10 litres/hectare) uniformly over the previously treated
10 acres. Treatment on 10 acres of the second 20 acre field (designated
Field B) was with Maximize applied pre-plant with 11-37-0 base
dressing. Midway in the season a second application of Maximize
was applied as a foliar spray (10 litres/hectare) with the spray directed
on to each side of the bean plants, an attempt to keep the spray on the
beans and off the soil surface.
|
Acres Planted
|
Yield/Acre
|
Increase
|
Increased Profit
per Acre |
|
|
Field A
Untreated |
10
|
2.400
|
||
|
Field A
Treated |
10
|
3,200
|
800
|
$84.00
|
|
Field B
Untreated |
10
|
1,700
|
||
|
Field B
Treated |
10
|
3,400
|
1,700
|
$178.50
|
Note: Profit calculation is based on a price of $10.50/100 lbs beans. Deducting the material cost the profit, without consideration of application costs, was $71.00 for Field A and $165.50 for Field B.
Response of Carrots
A 40 acre field of carrots was used at the Jester unit to determine the
influence of Maximize on the yield of carrots. One half, or 20
acres of the field was treated with Maximize at 10 litres/hectare
and the other half left untreated. In order to estimate yields on each
of the 20 acre test areas 4 rows from each treatment were harvested in
sacks. Each sack of carrots weighed on average 75 lbs.
|
Acres
|
Yield/4 rows
|
Yield
|
Increase
|
Increased Profit
per Acre |
|
|
Untreated
|
20
|
22
|
7,710
|
||
|
Treated
|
20
|
33
|
11,566
|
3,856
|
$192.80
|
Response of Squash
Squash was tested for its response to the humates at the Ramsey unit.
When the yields were determined on comparable areas the yield on the untreated
field was approximately 80,000 lbs; while on the treated field the yield
was approximately 170,000 lbs. This represents a yield increase of 77,000
lbs on the treated field, a 96% increase over the field obtained on the
untreated area.
Summary
The above reported summary of the yields obtained with field crops and
vegetables illustrate the influence of Agri-Hume and Maximize,
(Marketed by NPK Ltd in the UK, manufactured by HumaTech Inc.
in the US) in terms of their influence on crop yields.
In addition to consistent yield increases, following the application of Agri-Hume products, other desirable factors were observed by the staff on several of the Texas Department of Corrections farms.
For example, it was reported at the Elemens Unit farm that where the humates were applied on the northern fields, next to the Brazos river, the tractors discing the treated field were able to operate in one or two gears higher and yet maintain the same degree of cultivation. The easier cultivation was believed to have been due to improved soil structure. Cultivating in the higher gears lowers the cost of fuel and time taken in seedbed preparation.
Maximize was discovered to influence the uptake of herbicides. As a result the effectiveness of herbicides in controlling weeds was increased. This makes it possible to reduce herbicide application rates. By tank mixing the herbicide with Maximize the herbicide rate can be reduced.
Maximize was also found to increase the efficiency of the fertiliser used. Particularly when mixed before application. Therefore allowing fertiliser rates and costs to be reduced.
The results of these experimental trials illustrate the value of Agri-Hume products. These products have been shown to improve the uptake of plant nutrients, improve soil structure (that can reduce cultivation costs), reduce the need for high rates of herbicides and fertilisers, and will help in the development of alternative, sustainable agricultural production systems that will help to preserve natural soil fertility, and require less energy.
HumaTech Inc. have spent considerable time and money in developing a line of agricultural grade humates that meet high quality standards. The company uses only high quality purified humates with known structural features that are compatible with growing plants. Both the dry and liquid products consist of highly concentrated fertiliser grade carbon compounds known to bind trace elements to increase their uptake efficiency. As a result these products can be applied at extremely low rates and still have a significant influence on the plant growth and initiate desirable changes in soil structure. The liquid extract have been processed to obtain certain size molecular units that have the ability to enter plant tissues and be easily translocated. Because of our extraction and modification procedures, quality control, lack of inert ingredients, and highly concentrated active materials we are able to reduce shipping costs and rates of application. Our competitors continue to attempt to develop products that have qualities similar to our products. We believe product quality and consistent performance are the keys to our business success.
We look forward to continued opportunities in serving the
Texas Department of Corrections in their agricultural programmes. Stewardship
of the soil is a key to continued production of food in terms of optimum
quantity and high quality. Use of Agri-Hume non-toxic fertilisers
and trace element carriers, that aid in the reduction of pesticide application
rates, is a step towards this goal of stewardship of the soil.
Texas Department of Corrections inter-office communication:
|
Subject: Use of Humates. From: Capt.M.R.Ramos, Edible Crops Supervisor, Ramsey units. Quote: "The following is a report of my experience with the use of humates on edible crops grown on the Ramsey farm. As the below list comparison will show, there is a definite advantage in the use of humates. Aside from production increases, the crops on which humates were applied are healthier, more lush, taller plants and have a larger leaf area. A recent experience with the green bean crop proved the effectiveness of the use of humates. The crop was stressed, weak and discoloured; three days after the application of humates the condition of the crop had a dramatic improvement. The plants are lush in colour and I am very pleased with the overall appearance, brought about by the application of humates. As further proof, the application of humates to the pumpkin crop was a definite plus in helping to produce over a 500,000 lb yield, this also applies to our sweet corn crop. Other crops treated with humates are as follows:
I am very pleased with the results brought about by the use of humates and would definitely recommend the continued use of humates on our edible crops. The increase in production would offset the cost of the product. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me." |
Below is a further inter-office communication:
|
From: G.N.Williams Quote: "Maximize used on: tomatoes, cucumber, sweet corn, green beans, pumpkins & watermelons. I noticed better utilisation by crops of fertiliser and most herbicides were effective. To the best of my knowledge I used 10 litres hectare with the fertiliser and 2 litres hectare with some herbicides. The crop yield was very profitable, example;
in a 30 acre field of green beans there was none applied, the difference
in yield was almost half. This humate was applied in two applications. |
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Tel: 0870 4783030 Head Office: Unit 1A , Uplyme Road Industrial Estate, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3LS, England |
