In our Biological Farming Group there has been a lot of references to Humic, Fulvic, and Folic acids for plant growth. There is a lot of information online, and it gets very confusing. Below I am providing a sample and possibly a summary of the past three years of meetings and internet searches boiled down to what basics I want to keep in mind about Fulvic, Humic and Folic Acids.
Below, --two image inserts giving information, are from Earthgreen Products. A good synopsis of the organic acids. More information can be obtained at < Fulvic / Humic >, and are a source for "humin" products. Folic Acid is used for plant nutrition, but normally referred as a source of vitamin B in human health discussions. The bottom image insert on Folic Acid is from ResearchGate. < Folic Acid / Grain >.
VERY short summary: ---Both acids are essential for plant health. ---All three organic acids are useful and show success in many plant growing environments. ---Fulvics are soluble at all pH levels. ---Humics are only soluble in alkaline solutions. ---As stand alone products, Humics have a large molecule and are best used for soil application. ---Fulvic has a small molecule that enters plant tissue more easily and is best used as a foliar. ---Best performance however is with a combination of Fulvic / Humic. ---Humic increases the permeability of cell walls, making it easier for fulvics to carry nutrients into the plant. ---While Fulvic is the carrier for nutrients, humics make nutrients more available in the soil. ---They also work in tandem to increase water holding capacity and stimulate root and shoot growth.
---Folic is generally used as a foliar. Foliar applications at several specific stages of growth showed significant plant and grain benefit; however, applications at one or two stages of growth didn't make much difference.
There are several studies at ResearchGate about Folic Acid. I chose this one because of being done on a grain.
