Sonia Gerken writes in The Southland Times about humates, which have been found in New Zealand and which, scientific testing suggest, could be used to help make New Zealand greener.
Humates contain certain chemicals which could help slow the leaching of fertiliser nitrogen, to the benefits of famers’ crops and our waterways, and testing is underway on other potential uses for them.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Solid Energy environment business manager Paul Weber said humates were rich in humic and fulvic acids which help retain nutrients for plants.
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“Laboratory trials indicated humates could slow the leaching of nitrogen fertilisers which might allow plants to use more of the nutrient before it leached away, he said.
“”By helping soils retain nitrogen, humates could offer financial benefits to farmers and also reduce the negative effects of leaching on aquifers and rivers.”
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“”We are already investigating options for liquid humates that could be used for blended fertilisers, water treatment and the clean-up of contaminated sites,” Dr Weber said.”