One of the hottest topics of conversation between growers and our sales team has been the application of our Humic DG granules through an air seeder.

Many growers are having success with Humic DG granules in both in-furrow or sideband applications.

Why an Air Seeder?
Air seeders (or air drills) have been used in small grain and oil seed production since the early 1980’s, and have been popular with medium and large producers. More recently, they have been modified for use with a wider range of crops, including vegetables and corn silage planting.

The beauty of an air seeder is in the precision it commands with the placement of nutrients (including humates) and seeds. The more precise the placement of humate in relation to the seed, the greater the opportunity to maximize the benefits of humic acid; benefits that shouldn’t be ignored — improved water retention and nutrient uptake, and greater root development.

These benefits, coupled with the technology and superior handling characteristics Humic DG granules provide, make an “air seeder + Humic DG granules” application the ideal way to ensure that both soil AND seed are receiving the humic acid they need.

What Makes Humic DG Granules Ideal for an Air Seeder?
Let’s agree that the best way to incorporate humates into a planting scheme is with an in-furrow or a sideband application. With that being said, granular humates have historically caused headaches in this regard, as their less than ideal handling characteristics have made them difficult to manage in seeding or fertilizer blending operations.

Enter Humic DG granules. With its engineered, spherical particles, growers tell us that Humic DG granules accentuate all of the major advantages of an air seeder; that the free-flowing homogeneous product allows for the precision placement and maximum uptake of humic acid.

The DG Advantage
Featuring our patented Dispersing Granule (DG) Technology, Humic DG granules represent a unique, high-tech humic solution; one that’s tailor made for air seeder applications. On contact with soil moisture, each DG granule releases thousands of sub-particles into the immediate vicinity of the seed – taking precision humic acid delivery to the next level.

Are Cost Savings Involved?
I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves. Air seeders, in both sideband and in-furrow applications of Humic DG granules, allow the grower to maximize humic acid delivery rates at an economical input cost. The majority of the growers we’ve spoken with are utilizing air seeders to apply Humic DG granules at a rate of 5-10 lbs. per acre (in-furrow). At this rate, Humic DG granules are delivering up to 6x the amount of humic acid, compared to one gallon of 12% liquid humic acid, at a similar cost/acre.

Humic DG Resources
Click the buttons below to download Humic DG documents.

Request Samples
Want to experience Humic DG for yourself? Click the button below to request samples.

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John Pope is a Territory Manager for The Andersons, Inc. Turf & Specialty Group, with a focus on high-tech, high-value solutions for the professional turf, horticulture and agriculture markets. John has been in the Plant Nutrient Industry for 33 years. He can be reached at: john_pope@andersonsinc.com.

This post features a quick review of The Andersons dispersing granule (DG) humic products and their benefits to soil and plant health.

In addition to our DG products, we also offer a full line of liquid and soluble granule (SG) humic products. A summary of these products were featured in a previous post.

Growers of all types—from large acreage grain producers to athletic field managers—ask us on a regular basis to explain the differences in humic products. The interest in humic products is gaining because many growers are placing an emphasis on managing to maximize soil health.

The 2015 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll stated that “93% of farmers agree that healthy soil can lead to better crop yields. About 77% claimed that it could also reduce vulnerability to drought conditions.”

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Before understanding our range of humic acid-based products, it’s important to understand the benefits humic acid provides.

Why Humic Acid?

Humic acid promotes healthy soils, which promote healthy plants.

Healthy soils provide many benefits for plants, including:

• Physical support
• Air supply & flow
• Water
• Support for cooling, nutrient transport, and photosynthesis (energy production)
• Temperature moderation
• Plant root protection
• Toxin protection
• Nutrients essential for growth

Humic Acids Promote Healthy Soils

Providing soil carbon
Provides an oxidized carbon source which stimulates the soil microbiology and beneficial organisms.

Providing microbes with a place to live and food to eat
When these microbes are supported, they will promote soil and plant health.

• Make nutrients available to plants in the organic form
• Promote soil structure
• Produce plant growth hormones
• Protect plant from pathogens

Modifying soil structure
Humic acids modify the soil structure to improve:

• Aggregate stability
• Water infiltration and holding capacity
• Aeration
• Soil tilth

Adding cation exchangeable material to the soil
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC): the amount of exchangeable cations (nutrients) a soil can sustain.

• High CEC = high nutrient retention and fertility
• Activates key soil chemistry

Why Humic Products from The Andersons?

Our range of humic products contain a highly available, soil-active carbon source that is delivered using the latest humic acid granule technology. We offer a complete line of technologically-advanced, easy-to-handle products superior to others on the market today.

Our humic offering includes products that can be used in granular or liquid application throughout the growing season.

Dispersing Granule (DG) Products

• Humic DG
• Black Gypsum DG

Soluble Granule (SG) Products

• K-Mate SG

Liquid Products

• UltraMate LQ

Humic DG

Humic DG is a unique combination of two sources of humic substances that provide fulvic, humic acid, humin and humic acid precursor. Humic DG has a 70% humic acid content. The patented dispersible granule (DG) technology delivers the humic substance to the soil, where each granule disperses into thousands of sub-particles that self incorporate into your soil.

The humic substances found in Humic DG will provide a food source (C) to the soil microbes, causing them to flourish. As a result, essential macro and micro nutrients held in the soil will become more available and additional fertility will be utilized more efficiently.

Humic DG will also improve water efficiency, soil productivity, and root system development. Humic DG has a greater surface area than conventional, screened humate products which enables greater availability to the plant and soil system.

Humic DG blends will all fertilizers, including urea, and is easy to apply through all types of granular application equipment.

Black Gypsum DG

Featuring the same dual carbon sources that make Humic DG unique, Black Gypsum DG is a unique bio-amendment that combines natural gypsum and humic substances in one, homogenous dispersing granule. Our patented Dispersing Granule (DG) technology results in a dust-free, spherical, ultra-dry granule that rapidly disperses into thousands of microparticles upon contact with moisture.

Our gypsum source is calcium sulfate dehydrate (CaSO₄•2H₂O), which, with two extra water molecules, is more water soluble than the anhydrite form (CaSO₄). These extra molecules make calcium and sulfur more quickly available to the plant – as soon as Black Gypsum DG enters the soil solution.

While a plant receiving the anhydrite form of calcium would be forced to wait days or weeks to take advantage of the applied nutrients, a plant receiving a Black Gypsum DG application begins to utilize the nutrients in hours, thanks to the dihydrate calcium and our dispersing granule technology. Black Gypsum DG will increase the calcium and sulfur content of the soil without changing the soil’s pH.

Black Gypsum DG delivers 10% humic acid in every application. This humate is quick acting, and provides further chelation of applied and existing nutrients, increasing their availability to the plant.

Black Gypsum DG can be blended with all fertilizer, including urea, and is easy to spread through all types of granular application equipment.

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More Information

For more information on our entire humic acid-based product offering, check out our products page or contact us. 

^{Reference
Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/new-farm-poll-examines-farmers%E2%80%99-perspective-their-land-0}

This post features a quick review of The Andersons’ liquid and soluble granule (SG) humic products and compares them to other liquid potassium humates generally found in the marketplace.

In addition to our liquid and SG products, we also offer a full line of granular humic products. A summary of our granular humic products will be featured in an upcoming post.

Growers of all types—from large acreage grain producers to athletic field managers—ask us on a regular basis to explain the differences in humic products. The interest in humic products is gaining because many growers are placing an emphasis on managing to maximize soil health.

The 2015 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll stated that “93% of farmers agree that healthy soil can lead to better crop yields. About 77% claimed that it could also reduce vulnerability to drought conditions.”

Why Humic Products from The Andersons?

Our Humic Products help promote soil and plant health in many ways, including increased:

• water soluble carbon
• microbial population
• nutrient and micronutrient efficiency
• root mass

When you are evaluating humic acid products and choosing which one is best for you, there are a few things that we recommend keeping in mind:

• Humic acid products should be evaluated by
  • quality and quantity of humic acid (HA)
  • source of humates
  • application rate
  • ease of handling in the field, including tank mix compatibility

• A typical 3-12% humic acid liquid product on the market is a potassium humate product. These potassium humates do not have all three humic fractions (humic acid, fulvic acid and humin). Some potassium humates are OMRI-listed, some are not.

The Sulfonation Advantage

UltraMate SG and UltraMate LQ are both sulfonated potassium humates. The advantage of sulfonation for both products allows compatibility over a pH range of 2.0 to 12.0, in both soil and tank mixes.  Traditional liquid potassium humates do not mix well in tank mixes below pH 5.8.

Sulfonation allows the user to apply this humic acid directly into tank mix, drip and overhead irrigation, and into low salt or low pH starter fertilizers. Mixing potassium humates that are not sulfonated can be risky for conventional humic acid products, especially with low salt or low pH fertilizers. UltraMate SG and UltraMate LQ provide maximum use flexibility. UltraMate SG and UltraMate LQ are not OMRI-listed.

UltraMate SG

UltraMate SG is a soluble granule that has a 70% humic acid content, compared to other liquids on the market that contain 12% humic acid or less.

This completely soluble granule is designed to be hydrated at the dealer or on the farm—mixed in a tank or in a fertilizer blend. The Soluble Granule process reduces freight and handling cost. It also provides flexibility in storage, inventory control, handling and rate of use. The grower only needs to mix as much of the UltraMate SG that is needed to make enough liquid for a single use.

UltraMate SG is applied at 1-3 pounds per acre (solubilized) per application, with up to 11 pounds applied annually. Corn, soybeans, wheat and specialty crops respond well to UltraMate SG. There are a wide variety of application timings and methods for UltraMate SG, including in-furrow with starter at planting and as a foliar post emergence. UltraMate SG is compatible with liquid fertilizers, micronutrients, and most pesticides. UltraMate SG may be applied through a wide range of equipment including drip and overhead irrigation, in-furrow, and 2×2.

For additional UltraMate SG application information, click here.

UltraMate LQ

UltraMate LQ is similar to a traditional liquid potassium humate. The advantage of UltraMate LQ over the traditional liquid potassium humate is increased tank mix compatibility when used at the same rate as traditional products. UltraMate LQ is designed for the grower that is more comfortable handling finished liquid products or likes the convenience of finished liquid products.

It is delivered to the grower in bulk, totes, or jugs, as a 12% sulfonated potassium humate liquid product.

UltraMate LQ is applied at 1-3 gallons per acre per application, with up to 10 gallons applied annually. These rates are comparable to competitive potassium humate liquids. UltraMate LQ is a great addition to nitrogen and starter fertilizer applications on a wide variety of crops. It is also ideal for foliar applications with fungicides, herbicides, and fertilizers. UltraMate LQ may be applied through a wide range of equipment including drip and overhead irrigation, in-furrow, and 2×2.

For additional UltraMate LQ application information, click here.

K-Mate SG

K-Mate SG is an OMRI-listed soluble granule with a 99% humic acid content.  This completely soluble granule is designed to be hydrated at the dealer or on farm location, then mixed in tank or fertilizer blend.

K-Mate SG has the characteristics of a liquid potassium humate but has a much better price position.  The Soluble Granule process reduces freight and handling cost. It also provides flexibility in storage, inventory control, handling and rate of use. The grower only needs to mix as much of the K-Mate SG that is needed to make enough liquid for a single use.

Corn, soybeans, wheat and a wide range of annual and perennial specialty crops respond well to K-Mate SG at the rate of 1-3 pounds per application, with up to 7-9 pounds applied annually. K-Mate SG was designed to be applied through a wide range of equipment including drip and overhead irrigation, in-furrow, and 2×2.

Also available through The Andersons is a high speed, low startup cost mixing unit for solutionizing K-Mate SG. For more information, contact us today.

For additional K-Mate SG application information, click here.

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Product Range Overview

The Andersons’ range of humic products contain a highly available, soil-active carbon source that is delivered using the latest humic acid granule technology. We offer a complete line of technologically-advanced, easy-to-handle products superior to others on the market today.

Our humic offering includes products that can be used in granular or liquid application throughout the growing season.

Dispersing Granule (DG) Products

• Humic DG
• Black Gypsum DG

Soluble Granule (SG) Products

• UltraMate SG
• K-Mate SG

Liquid Products

• UltraMate LQ

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More Information

For more information on our entire humic acid-based product offering, check out our products page or contact us. 

^{Reference
Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/new-farm-poll-examines-farmers%E2%80%99-perspective-their-land-0}