Application of humus in modern agricultural production and its efficiency

Humus (vermicompost) surpasses traditional organic fertilizers in its effect on the growth, development, and yield of crops. Due to microbiological fermentation, it retains available forms of nutrients that are usually lost during simple composting. Vermicompost has a uniform structure, high porosity, and excellent moisture retention in the soil. Furthermore, the biologically active substances and growth stimulants in its composition accelerate plant development and increase their resistance to disease.

• Vegetable yield increase — 35–40%
• Reduction of the growing season — by 1–2 weeks
• Application rate for localized use — 250–300 kg/ha
• Fallow period after application — 3–6 months

Effect on yield and application rates of humus

The use of humus allows for a 20–30% increase in crop yield and a significant improvement in product quality. In vegetable and floriculture, especially in greenhouses, vermicompost allows for the complete elimination of mineral fertilizers, resulting in eco-friendly products for dietary and baby food. Abroad, due to its high cost, humus is more often used as a substrate for transplants; however, it also shows high efficiency in field conditions. Plant responsiveness to this fertilizer varies depending on the crop group.

Unlike mineral fertilizers, humus is safe for plants even in ultra-high doses. Its application eliminates the supersaturation of the soil with individual nutrients and lodging of crops. The effect of accelerating the growing season by 1–2 weeks makes this fertilizer especially valuable for regions with short summers — the Non-Chernozem region, Siberia, and the Far East. At the same time, the health-promoting effect of vermicompost improves the keeping quality of products during storage.

Application technologies in dry and liquid forms

Broadcast application of humus requires significantly lower volumes compared to conventional manure — a few tons per hectare are sufficient. However, it is most cost-effective to apply the fertilizer locally during sowing together with seeds at the planting depth. With this method, the application rate is reduced to 250–300 kg/ha (or 25–30 g/m²), and deviation from this rate only affects the duration of the fertilizer's impact on soil fertility.

For the classic application of dry humus into the soil, a specific technological sequence is followed:

1. The soil is ploughed to a depth of 30–32 cm and immediately harrowed thoroughly.
2. Humus is evenly spread over the surface after precipitation or artificial irrigation.
3. The fertilized field is left fallow for 3–6 months.

For irrigation, spraying of vegetation, and seed treatment, liquid humus is used — an aqueous extract rich in macro- and micronutrients, amino acids, enzymes, and growth hormones. In industrial conditions, it is produced according to the following scheme:

1. A mixture of sifted dry humus and water with a dry matter content of 25% is prepared.
2. The mixture is left for several hours to swell, stirred until uniform, and sent to a high-speed centrifuge.
3. The mass is separated into a liquid fraction (ready-made extract) and a solid phase with a dry matter content of 65–80%.

For personal smallholdings, the aqueous extract is prepared using a simplified method. One cup of dry fertilizer is poured into a bucket of room-temperature water, stirred, and infused for 24 hours. The resulting light brown solution is used for seed treatment, top dressing, and watering vegetable transplants or indoor flowers.

Timing of foliar treatments and seed preparation

Foliar top dressing with humus extract activates plant growth directly during critical developmental phases. Spraying fruit trees during the setting of flower buds directly affects the yield of the following year. In addition to stimulating growth, such treatments perform a protective function. Foliar spraying of vegetation significantly increases their resistance to Fusarium, powdery mildew, bacteriosis, and grey mold.

To achieve maximum effect, adhere to the optimal crop treatment phases:

• Pome fruits: after flowering, at the beginning of fruit set drop, during the period of flower bud formation, and during fruit growth;
• Vegetable crops: before flowering begins and immediately after fruit formation;
• Grapes: after cluster formation and during the berry filling phase;
• Strawberries: strictly after berry formation.

For flower crops, a triple spraying with a humate solution is used. This allows for accelerating their development and increasing their ornamental value. Pre-sowing preparation of seed in a biohumus solution increases their emergence and ensures uniform germination.

• Extract concentration for seed — 0,001–2,5 %
• Seed soaking time — 12 hours
• Frequency of flower treatment — every 7–8 days
• Acceleration of growth and flowering — by 7–10 days

Reclamation of degraded soils and vermiculture

Biohumus effectively restores soil fertility depleted by erosion or contaminated with toxicants. The fertilizer's specific microflora binds heavy metals, converting them into immobile forms that are safe for plants. Application of the product neutralizes pesticide residues through adsorption and immobilization processes. Simultaneously, the activity of enzymes in the soil—urease, phosphatase, and malathion esterase, which are responsible for the degradation of toxic chemicals—increases sharply. This allows for the faster return to crop rotation of lands removed from use due to high chemical load.

To accelerate the regeneration of disturbed lands, the introduction of earthworms is practiced. In global practice, this method has shown high efficiency. In the USA, the technology is used for the reclamation of disturbed lands; in the Netherlands, it is used to reduce compaction of polder pastures from livestock grazing and to accelerate the humification of plant residues. In New Zealand, stocking pastures with European earthworms at a rate of 500 individuals/m² allowed for the restoration of degraded lands covering 3 million hectares and increased the yield of dry grass matter by 70 %.

The technology for stocking fields with worms includes the following stages:

1. Apply cultivated worms together with raw humus to the field in an amount of at least 50 individuals/m² (500 thousand individuals/ha).
2. Repeat the stocking operation in six months.
3. Keep the treated plot fallow for one year.
4. Apply compost or manure for top dressing six months after the start of fallowing.

How to choose effective fertilizers among thousands of offers

Today, several thousand fertilizer brands from hundreds of manufacturers are represented on the market. There is no practical sense in studying each product in detail, as the active ingredients are largely similar to each other. To avoid wasting farm resources on purchasing questionable compositions, it is important for an agronomist to be guided by strict selection criteria.

Not all commercial products are suitable for industrial use on farms. It is most reasonable to evaluate products based on conditions that filter out ineffective options already at the procurement planning stage. This helps protect crops and guarantees a predictable result in the field.

• Presence of official state registration of the product.
• Transparent information about the manufacturer and the quality of its products.
• Novelty of the formulation to increase treatment efficiency.
• Availability for mass purchase and uninterrupted supply.