Humus

The Stuff of Muck &

Magic & of New Birth
 What Is Humus
 The relatively stable/ steady state of the organic matter
– The C:N ratio is 10
 Made up of dark colored organic matter in final stages of
decomposition
 Made up of the collection of the remains of soil organisms
 Formed by gummy/gluey substances - the by-products of
the decomposition
– Fungi need to be involved in the decomposition for humus
formation
– Fungi need aerobic conditions
 Humus particles are negatively charged and bind with the
negatively charged clay particles to form the clay-humus
complex

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 Humus – Think Of It As One Big
Reservoir

 Reservoir of water
– 144,000 liters per hectare of extra plant-available water can be stored for every 1%
increase in the level of soil organic carbon
– Need to water the plants less frequently
– Results in savings of power and water
 Reservoir of nutrients
– The negatively charged Humus particles improve the Cation Exchange Capacity of
the soil
 Helps with retaining the positively charged non-constitutive elements (like Sodium, Potassium,
Magnesium etc.) in the soil
– Prevents leaching of nutrients by physically binding with them and thus prevents
pollution of our water systems
 Blue Baby syndrome is a result of the leaching of the nitrates into our water bodies
– Food is available for the soil micro & micro organisms which in turn produce the
nutrients required by the plants
– Nutrients are available for the plants whenever they really need them.

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 The Other Magical Properties of
Humus

 Improves aeration
– Micro organisms need Oxygen to make the nitrates etc.
– The absence of oxygen results in proliferation of de-nitryfying bacteria
 Provides a cozy home for the soil micro organisms
 Chelating acids are present that dissolve minerals in soil making them available
to plants
 Helps build soil structure (aggregation)
– Result of the cementing of the soil particles by the gummy/gluey substances
 Prevents Erosion
– Clay by itself gets washed off/ blown away easily but with humus it forms a tight
bond/aggregate and gets preserved
– Preserves your farm’s most precious capital.

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 Conclusion

 Humus can be thought of as a benevolent trust

where your farm’s capital (the top soil, the myriad
microbial inhabitants, nutrients etc.) are held on
behalf of the plants

5 Dec 8, 2021 BASIL