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What Are Humic Acids?

Humic acids are the water-soluble organic acids naturally present in soil organic matter. Humic acids are a large family of organic compounds with similar characteristics. They are defined by the process through which they are isolated, rather than by a particular chemical structure. 

I. Organic Matter in the soil exists in 3 different forms or states. They are:

1. Living plant and animal matter.
2. Dead plant and animal matter.
3. Decomposed plant and animal matter (Humus).

II. While it is true that all humus is organic matter, not all organic matter is humus. For identifying characteristics of humus are:

1. Its origin or parent material can no longer be identified.
2. It must lose all its sugar, fiber, cellulose, lignin, protein, etc.
3. It resists further decomposition.
4. It is a minute amount of the parent material.

III. When organic matter decomposes to the point that it becomes humus, then it can be further defined as:

1. Humic - The portion of humus which is soluble and is called humic acids.
2. Non Humic - The portion of humus which is soluble and is called humin.

IV. Just because organic matter may be defined as humus does not necessarily mean that it is useable as humic acids or that it will have any effect on the soil or the plants. The soluble humic acids have 3 major fractions:

1. Humic Acid - (singular) is a long chain molecule which is high in molecular weight, dark brown and is soluble in an Alkaline solution.
2. Ulmic Acid - Also called Hymatomelanic Acid.
3. Fulvic Acid - is a short chain molecule which has a low molecular weight, yellow in color and soluble in both acid and alkali.

Humic Acids Are Not All A Like

Soluble humic acid products all produce black liquids when dissolved in water. However, the properties and activities of these black solutions are not necessarily alike.

Properties and activities of these of these soluble fractions are dependent upon several factors:

1. Type of organic material from which derived.
2. Reagent used to extract the soluble fraction
3. Conditions of storage of the finished soluble product.

A. The organic raw material has considerable effect on the final product. For example, higher or lower organic content in the raw material will produce stronger or weaker final extracts. The humic acids extracted will markedly differ as the raw material varies in its state of oxidation (e.g. highly oxidated as with peat vs. lower oxidation state as with Lignite coal.) Oxidation state of the raw material has much to do with the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the humic acid extract, with lower CEC resulting from the less-highly oxidized raw material (5-10 me/100 gm) vs. higher CEC's (well above 100 me/100 gm) exhibited by extracts of more highly oxidation state, considerable variation occurs within the Leonardite group. Also, a high silica content in the raw material can interfere with alkaline extraction of its contained humic acids.

B. Strength and pH extractant reagents will affect not only the activity and properties, but will determine and species of the resulting Humic product. For example, using a strongly alkaline extractant, and maintaining the product at a high pH after extraction will keep the humic, fulvic, and ulmic acids in solution. If the product is acidified after extraction, or acid-extracted, the predominant species remaining in solution will be fulvic and ulmic Acids, as the majority of the humic acids will precipitate out.

C. Post-extraction storage is important to properties and activities of a soluble humic acids product. For example, if the post-extraction soluble product is maintained at an extremely high pH for a period of time, the humic acid content will often drop significantly. Low pH storage can result in precipitation of the humic acid fraction of the product. In summary, variability in any of several factors can produce humic acid products with widely different properties, and activities which quite often are evident only after considerable use experience. In addition, while several analytical methods for assaying humic content of products are in use, no one method has yet been adopted as "standard" by the industry and its regulators. Consequently, it can be quite difficult to determine the efficacy of a humic acid product by chemical testing alone; field-testing along with chemical testing is recommend. 
~by: Irvine L. Phillips, Jr. Micro-Chem International, Ltd, Nov. 15, 1989~

Read more about Humic Acids

Read more about Leonardite

War-A-Lon, Inc. is an Authorized Dealer for General Hydroponics, Inc.