HUMUS (ORGANIC CARBON)

IF YOU WERE LOOKING FOR PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND, YOU WOULD WANT AN IDEAL SOIL IN WHICH:

• Crops would thrive, even in dry spells
• Roots would grow extensively
• Implements would pull easily
• Soil would resist compaction and erosion

In other words you would look for a soil with good organic levels.

Soil humus (Organic Carbon) and the organisms that live in it, are critical to many soil processes. It allows high crop yields and reduced input costs simply by micro-activity in the soil.

Building soil humus (organic carbon) is the most important thing you can do to enhance long term soil performance. It is the single most significant thing you can do to increase soil fertility.

Most soils in AUSTRALIA have low levels of humus due to climate and the origin of the soil, being in the southern hemisphere the variance of temperatures are slight to the northern hemisphere where humic levels are high.

Think of the problems areas you have on your soil - And compare:

The following points relate to good organic carbon levels.

• Holds soil particles together
• Stabilizes soil
• Assists crop growth
• Reduces risk of erosion
• Increases efficiency of nutrient exchange
• Increases water holding capacity of the soil
• Maintains soil in an uncompacted state
• Improves soil tilth
• Reduces negative effects of pesticide residues

Does your soil have these features?

If not then the need for Humus will begin the process of natural fertility.

1% Organic Carbon = 22 kg/Nitrogen per hectare

• A nutrient storehouse
• The work house for microbes
• Provides moisture retention
• Reduces fuel costs
• Increases capital value
• Provides Carbon Credits

Start your Carbon factory today.

By increasing your Organic Carbon levels in your soil, it releases many actions. Microbes have a place to populate, resist stresses and convert soil elements to plant food. Regard Carbon as an essential element in the future, for most if not all agricultural practices.

GRDC Trials

Tests conducted by the CSIRO on 60 farms covering a wide range of agricultural pursuits have proven that the loss of humus, (organic carbon), significantly reduces the productivity of the soil and therefore reduces the capital value of the farm.

Refer to GRDC Ground Cover Issue 21,1998. Based upon the tests, a reduction of 1% in the top soil equates to a $230/ha/pa reduction in productivity and a decrease in capital value of $1500/ha.

Examples of significant changes can be seen in some of the most reputed fertile soils in Australia the Darling Downs. Over the past 70 years farming practices have slowly reduced the Humus (Organic Carbon) levels, with a much more a rapid decline in the past 30 years.

Agricultural bodies are now concerned that recent farming practices will have to change.

1. Minimum till the soil

The less that the soil is worked the more organic matter will remain in the soil profile, providing a base for binding the soil particles and moisture retention for breaking down to Humus (Carbon).

2. Trash stubble after each crop

Crop stubbles are a major source of matter which contain many nutrients, however if not decomposed nutrients are still locked up and can be a retardant to the following crop especially nitrogen. By using microbes (bacteria) in humid conditions this will stimulate Carbon breakdown over short periods assisting nutrient release.

3. Introduce humic material

The use of introduced concentrates of humic components provide rapid decomposition building micro-activity quickly and preparing the soil for the next crop. Components such as LIGNITE (Brown Coal), HUMIC ACIDS (Liquid Lignites), FULVIC ACIDS (Liquid Extracts), MANURES (Solid & Liquid), SUGAR PROTEINS (Sugar Wastes) and FISH & KELP by-products, are all useful in the breakdown of matter to humus.

4. Use carbon based fertilisers

Carbon fertilisers are only a recent innovation to farming practices designed to provide Carbon directly to the seed bed where Humus, (Organic Carbon), levels are known to be low. Giving release in a zone around the germinating seed for a short period of time, these practices are beneficial to large broad-acre applications.

“The more humus that can be built into the soil the less inorganic supplements will be required to grow a crop.”

All this information, plus more is available in a printed booklet form.

INTERSTATE ENERGY GROUP. PO Box 1039, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340. Ph. (03) 5367 0725, Fax. (03) 5367 0726.
© 2002 Copyright Maddingley Minerals. HumusPlus4 and OCCA are registered business names of Maddingley Minerals.