50-million-year-old reserves of humified organic matter are a substance called lignite. It is commonly known as brown or soft coal, a substance usually equated with energy production. Researchers at the Technical University of Dresden have found that this very old, carbon rich plant material has the same building blocks as humus – the organic matter reserves found in soil. Virginia Corless, Chief Growth Officer at Novihum Technologies, explains how reacting lignite with nitrogen has created a new soil amendment to improve nutrient retention, water storage, and the vitality of the microbiome.

While the greatest benefits were expected in sandy soils, it turns out that a small percentage of clay like what would be found in a sandy loam, creates a beneficial interaction. One long-term trial of Novihum found that after 17 years, 90 percent of the original application was still in the soil.

References:

53: Producing Compost and Carbon Sequestration (Podcast)
72: Soil Microbes and Nutrient Availability (Podcast)
Could Agriculture Bloom in the Desert? Qatar Works to Invent an Innovative Oasis (Video)
Novihum.com
Novihum Academic and Field Trials
Sahara Forest Project Grows Food, And Biofuel
SIP Certified
Technical University of Dresden
Virginial Corless | v.corless@novihum.com

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88: Making Better Soils with Novihum

Sustainable Winegrowing