Ibechillin
Masochist Educator
Fulvic acid is able to penetrate the leaf and even the mitochondria of a cell because of its small molecular size, which makes it great for foliar sprays and root drenches. By comparison humic acid is a fantastic soil conditioner and better for dry broad cast and soil/soil-less application.
Humic substances are a broad class of organic compounds operationally defined by their solubility at different pHs and retention on hydrophobic resins (Aiken, 1988; Thurman, 1985).
From blackearth.com:
The Differences Between Leonardite and Humalite:
Leonardite Ranges Considerably In Humic And Fulvic Acid Content. Leonardite deposits can have as low as 10% humic acid content and as high as 78%. It’s derived from Lignite based coal and was formed in salt water deposits. The other 20-90% of the product that isn't the active ingredient is made up of ash and heavy metals.
Humalite is a name given to the humate material deposited in Alberta, Canada. It is singled out because the material has a different composition and is not derived from Lignite. It is derived from weathered sub-bituminous coal, and opposite of leonardite, it was formed in a fresh water environment, not a salt water one. When humalite is harvested, the resulting final product averages 87% humic acid. Each batch is individually tested to ensure that it maintains the quality and guaranteed 80% humic acid content that it is known for. This means more humic and fulvic acid content, and considerably less of the undesired ash and heavy metals that are found in Leonardite.
The main benefits of Humic Acids are that they stimulate microbiology, enhance the uptake of nutrients, and condition the soils paramaters such as Carbon, pH, CEC.
Link to article:
https://www.blackearth.com/blog/bid/363896/the-relationship-between-humalite-leonardite-and-fertilizers
From the BioAg site:
BioAg starts with high quality humate material, rich in humic & fulvic!
Leonardite refers to slack (oxidized) lignite; typically found in North Dakota, Wyoming and other locations around the world [the term was first coined by Dr. Leonard at the University of ND]. This exact material has a good amount of humic, but is lower in fulvic. However, now this term has spread and many people refer to humates in general as Leonardite.
BioAg uses a carbonaceous shale or mudstone. Even in this formation the quality varies according to geological time of deposit or depth. A couple hundred feet this way or that and you probably have a different quality of material. Our raw material contains imprints of plants. In basic terms, our humate is fossilized peat from broad-leaved freshwater plants.
Leonardite is salt water reed/sledge based.
Why Is This Important To Distinguish?
Bottom line is the bioactivity of the final product (humic and fulvic acid products). Analysis of various forms of humates from different sources have been conducted. Results show that BioAg's material contains 12% bioactive fulvic acid based ore. Leonardite contains approximately 8% fulvic acid and high humic (up to 80%). However, unlike many claim, bioactivity is low...this form of humate material is great for drilling mud, not for bioactive products.
Form, Molecular Weight And Biological Activity:
The best humate is one that is high in biological activity, fulvic/humic acids, silicic acids and also high in oxygen in the phenolic and quinoid groups. Humic acids function best in the low weight fulvic fraction on the cellular level. Molecular weight is very important with the high oxygen types usually falling into the low weight (smaller sized molecules) category and thus more biologically active since only low weight molecules are utilized by beneficial organisims, enter cell membranes more efficiently, create greater permeability for the flow of nutrition into the cell and adsorption of excess heavy metals for removal from the cell.
In agriculture, stimulation of each cell produces more energy from the plant and higher yield. The process starts with soil microbes, then plant root cells and eventually the entire plant. We can also do this by foliar spraying soluble fulvic acids and adding a humic solution to the soil at planting, Cellular stimulation at all levels is achieved.
The Bottom Line & Results?
This is an economic issue, boiled down to how much humic acid is one getting per dollar and what is the cellular stimulation level? Consider the fact that the more concentrated a humate product the cheaper it is to transport and apply. Therefore, the most concentrated source is the best buy due to transportation costs alone.
Consider the standard source of humic acid provided by many suppliers and their distributors-Leonardite, which *can* contain over 80% humic acids. On the surface, this would seem to be the highest. However, this is not the most effective unless it is made into a soluble form where it becomes effective at low rate and the humic acids of the soluble powder can be over 80%. It is also low in the fulvic portion, the bioactive portion. These claims are often misleading, and not the fault of any one company, but a result of lack of testing standardization in our industry. Humates are valuable products, and until our industry can agree on some forms of standardization, only deal with companies with a track record and a proven high-grade product.
Link to article:
https://www.bioag.com/educationandresources.html
Humic substances are a broad class of organic compounds operationally defined by their solubility at different pHs and retention on hydrophobic resins (Aiken, 1988; Thurman, 1985).
From blackearth.com:
The Differences Between Leonardite and Humalite:
Leonardite Ranges Considerably In Humic And Fulvic Acid Content. Leonardite deposits can have as low as 10% humic acid content and as high as 78%. It’s derived from Lignite based coal and was formed in salt water deposits. The other 20-90% of the product that isn't the active ingredient is made up of ash and heavy metals.
Humalite is a name given to the humate material deposited in Alberta, Canada. It is singled out because the material has a different composition and is not derived from Lignite. It is derived from weathered sub-bituminous coal, and opposite of leonardite, it was formed in a fresh water environment, not a salt water one. When humalite is harvested, the resulting final product averages 87% humic acid. Each batch is individually tested to ensure that it maintains the quality and guaranteed 80% humic acid content that it is known for. This means more humic and fulvic acid content, and considerably less of the undesired ash and heavy metals that are found in Leonardite.
The main benefits of Humic Acids are that they stimulate microbiology, enhance the uptake of nutrients, and condition the soils paramaters such as Carbon, pH, CEC.
Link to article:
https://www.blackearth.com/blog/bid/363896/the-relationship-between-humalite-leonardite-and-fertilizers
From the BioAg site:
BioAg starts with high quality humate material, rich in humic & fulvic!
Leonardite refers to slack (oxidized) lignite; typically found in North Dakota, Wyoming and other locations around the world [the term was first coined by Dr. Leonard at the University of ND]. This exact material has a good amount of humic, but is lower in fulvic. However, now this term has spread and many people refer to humates in general as Leonardite.
BioAg uses a carbonaceous shale or mudstone. Even in this formation the quality varies according to geological time of deposit or depth. A couple hundred feet this way or that and you probably have a different quality of material. Our raw material contains imprints of plants. In basic terms, our humate is fossilized peat from broad-leaved freshwater plants.
Leonardite is salt water reed/sledge based.
Why Is This Important To Distinguish?
Bottom line is the bioactivity of the final product (humic and fulvic acid products). Analysis of various forms of humates from different sources have been conducted. Results show that BioAg's material contains 12% bioactive fulvic acid based ore. Leonardite contains approximately 8% fulvic acid and high humic (up to 80%). However, unlike many claim, bioactivity is low...this form of humate material is great for drilling mud, not for bioactive products.
Form, Molecular Weight And Biological Activity:
The best humate is one that is high in biological activity, fulvic/humic acids, silicic acids and also high in oxygen in the phenolic and quinoid groups. Humic acids function best in the low weight fulvic fraction on the cellular level. Molecular weight is very important with the high oxygen types usually falling into the low weight (smaller sized molecules) category and thus more biologically active since only low weight molecules are utilized by beneficial organisims, enter cell membranes more efficiently, create greater permeability for the flow of nutrition into the cell and adsorption of excess heavy metals for removal from the cell.
In agriculture, stimulation of each cell produces more energy from the plant and higher yield. The process starts with soil microbes, then plant root cells and eventually the entire plant. We can also do this by foliar spraying soluble fulvic acids and adding a humic solution to the soil at planting, Cellular stimulation at all levels is achieved.
The Bottom Line & Results?
This is an economic issue, boiled down to how much humic acid is one getting per dollar and what is the cellular stimulation level? Consider the fact that the more concentrated a humate product the cheaper it is to transport and apply. Therefore, the most concentrated source is the best buy due to transportation costs alone.
Consider the standard source of humic acid provided by many suppliers and their distributors-Leonardite, which *can* contain over 80% humic acids. On the surface, this would seem to be the highest. However, this is not the most effective unless it is made into a soluble form where it becomes effective at low rate and the humic acids of the soluble powder can be over 80%. It is also low in the fulvic portion, the bioactive portion. These claims are often misleading, and not the fault of any one company, but a result of lack of testing standardization in our industry. Humates are valuable products, and until our industry can agree on some forms of standardization, only deal with companies with a track record and a proven high-grade product.
Link to article:
https://www.bioag.com/educationandresources.html
Last edited:
