Mario Raccanello

Region: Wet Tropics

Who: Mario Raccanello

Location: Tully

Reduce N Rates by 25 to 50 percent by the addition of potassium humate

Potassium humate is one of a number of humic compounds that international literature indicates as having high potential to improve may soil/plant properties and interactions eg: formation of organo-clay complexes and resulting in stable soil aggregates; improvement of water holding capacity; soil temperature regulation; electrochemical and ion exchange properties; formation of colloids; adsorption of organic chemicals including pesticides; control of plant pathogens, and hormone-like activity in plant growth.

One of the potential net results is increased nutrient use efficiency, particularly nitrogen use efficiency, in cropping systems. This potential has been confirmed in some crops, under some management, climate and geographic situations.