Fulvic Acid 5

FULVIC ACID-12.5

Analysis: Total water soluble fulvate 12.5% W/V

Fulvic Acids
Fulvic acids are soluble in both acidic or alkaline solution. They are light yellow to golden yellow in colour. They are smaller in molecular size than humic acids and are often used as complexing agents for trace nutrient solutions in foliar applications to improve their uptake by plants.

Fulvic acid is the low molecular weight fraction derived from the humic substances. Humic substances also include humic acids, high molecular weight compounds, and the ulmic acid, the intermediate molecular weight compounds. The humic acids stimulate soil physical, biological and chemical properties. Fulvic acids stimulate plant’s biochemical and physiological machinery to improve growth and development by penetrating the root and leaf cuticle through fertigation and foliar sprays, respectively.

Foliar sprays of Fulvic acid are both economical and beneficial as these molecules can easily penetrate the leaf cuticle and plasma membrane to exert their physiological effects. Fulvic acid has the ability to sensitize plasma membrane for ion diffusion into the cells and loading ions into the conducting tissues. Fulvic acid molecule comprises of carboxylic groups (COOH), which releases its H atom to bind with a cationic species such as zinc, calcium, copper, iron etc. However, this binding is comparatively weak.

Fulvic acid also stimulates plant’s own auxin production, and enhances the ability of plasma membrane to sense other growth hormones such as Gibberellins and Cytokinins. Gibberellins are commonly used hormones in pines, grapes and citrus industries. The increased growth rates of plants are attributed to this enhanced sensitization to hormones and auxin production process.

Certain other most talked about benefits of fulvic acid are:

• stimulation of nucleic acids, cell division and growth
• improved enzyme activities through biocatalysts (rate of enzyme reactions in biological systems)
• better metal complexation, transport and distribution within plants
• increased chlorophyll biosynthesis, drought tolerance and yields
• detoxification of various pollutants (pesticides, herbicides etc); and the
• Scavenging of free oxygen radical by acting as an antioxidant.