The development and utilization of coal humic acid resources have achieved results in many industries and have been widely promoted and applied, but the development and utilization of biochemical humic acid is still in the development and exploration stage.
Humic acid has entered people’s field of vision for many years. The humic acid resources usually mentioned in the development and utilization refer to weathered coal, lignite, peat (peat), etc. We call this type of humic acid resources coal humic acid. The formation of coal humic acid is the primary humic acid (peat, lignite humic acid) and regenerated humic acid (weathered coal humic acid) formed by the decomposition, decay or condensation of plant residues by nature and microorganisms, and then the coal-forming evolution over a long geological period. Coal humic acid has undergone coal-forming evolution over several geological periods. Although this natural resource has abundant reserves, its distribution is uneven and its biological activity is poor. Therefore, people began to look for new humic acid resources and humic acid substances to replace coal humic acid, hoping to increase the application speed and effect of humic acid in agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture and other industries.
Researchers have devoted countless efforts to the development and utilization of humic acid resources. They found that a substance similar to humic acid obtained from plant residues by biotechnology or chemical treatment was called “primary ecological humic acid” at that time, which means that the substance is a humic acid-like substance in the initial stage before it goes through the coal-forming process. This is the prototype of biochemical humic acid. Since then, a large number of research experiments have shown that different types of biochemical humic acid substances can be obtained from all plant residues or agricultural and sideline products through biological fermentation or chemical treatment. This discovery has now been confirmed by numerous authoritative organizations: plant residues can indeed obtain substances similar to yellow humic acid or brown humic acid in microbial fermentation, namely biochemical humic acid. In addition, chemical treatment (such as ammoniation, hydrolysis or alkaline extraction, etc.) can also obtain substances similar to humic acid (biochemical humic acid) from a variety of plant residues or soils.
The above research shows that the use of non-coal resources and biological or chemical treatment can convert organic matter such as plant residues or agricultural and sideline products into biochemical humic acid substances. Therefore, we can draw a simple conclusion: we can utilize a wide range of organic waste resources and obtain substances similar to humic acid after biological or chemical treatment, which is now called biochemical humic acid. This concept is currently being gradually recognized and accepted by people.