The short answer, right at the start: humic acid does not replace nitrogen fertiliser, because it is not a source of nitrogen. What it does is something else, and in practice it is often worth more: it makes the nitrogen already present in the soil, and the nitrogen you apply, more available to the plant, and it reduces the loss that today simply washes down into the groundwater.
So the right question is not whether nitrogen can be left out, but how much less is enough for the same yield. That is what this article works through, and it also says where the limits are.
Why humic acid is not a nitrogen substitute
96 to 97 percent of the nitrogen in soil is bound up in organic matter, mostly in the soil's humus reserves. Soil microorganisms convert nitrogen from this store into the form plants can take up. Many factors affect how well that process works: soil temperature, friability, the balance of air and water, and the diversity, quantity and vitality of the microorganisms doing the work.
Plants cannot take up nitrogen in its elemental form (N), only as ions (NH4+, NO3-). In that chain humic acid does not supply the nitrogen; it improves the chain itself: it feeds the microorganisms that carry out the conversion, and its large molecules carry the available ions to the roots. We wrote about this in detail in the article on what humic acid does for the plant.
In other words: humic acid improves how the soil manages nitrogen; it does not increase theamount of nitrogen. Anyone selling it as a nitrogen substitute is either mistaken or misleading you.
So where can you actually save?
In current practice losses arise in two places, and both can be reduced.
Leaching and volatilisation. A significant share of applied nitrogen never reaches the plant: it leaches into the groundwater or escapes as gas. Living soil with better structure and better water retention reduces that loss, and soil structure and water retention are exactly what humic acid acts on. The same water-holding capacity in drought matters beyond nutrient management too.
The reserve that is never taken up. Much of the organic nitrogen in the soil never becomes available if microbiological life is weak. This is not about adding more, but about opening up the store that is already there.
What we do not promise: a specific percentage. Land quality, the soil's starting organic matter content and the way a farm is managed differ so widely that the fertiliser-saving figures published in the literature show enormous scatter, and any single average would be false for most growers. That is why we put no percentage here: if someone does, ask them on what soil, on what crop, and with how many replicates they measured it. How much money is at stake is shown by the way fertiliser prices are moving .
Is humic acid a scam?
The question comes up often, and fairly so: the soil improver market really does carry a lot of unsupported promises. Three things are worth separating.
The active substance itself is not pseudoscience. Humic substances and humic acids have been researched for decades, and their effect on soil structure and nutrient uptake is basic agronomy. That part is not in dispute.
Overclaiming, however, is real. When a product is said to replace the entire nutrient programme, to work immediately and on every soil, or to guarantee a percentage yield increase, that claim does not hold, even if the humic acid itself is good.
On a specific product this can be checked. Four things are worth looking at before anyone pays, and they are public in our case too:
- Declared humic acid content. Ours: minimum 50 percent humic acid in dry matter. If a product states no figure at all, that is an answer in itself.
- Named raw material. Ours is lignite. Not "natural ingredients".
- Official authorisation number. ÚKSÚP 1432.
- Independent certification. A soil conditioner approved for organic farming under (EEC) 834/2007, carrying the "bee friendly" mark on the label.
If any of these is missing from a product, it does not prove that humic acid is bad. It proves that there is no way to know what is in that particular product.
Can you make it at home?
Short answer: compost yes, humic acid concentrate essentially no. The two are not the same, and the difference is worth knowing.
Compost and farmyard manure are excellent things, and they are the basis of replacing organic matter. But their humic acid content is small and unpredictable: it depends on what went in, for how long it matured and at what temperature. The effect is slow and long-lasting, which is good, but it is not the same as a solution of measured concentration that can be applied straight away.
Extraction, however, is complex technology. Producing pure, high-concentration humic acid requires special gentle processes and precisely followed protocols, which are often proprietary. This cannot be reproduced at home, and predictability is exactly what makes a commercial product worth buying.
What is worth doing at home: compost, cover the soil, reduce disturbance. These cost nothing, and they push in the same direction that humic acid treatment reinforces.
How to use it
The soil conditioner is a liquid; shake before use.
- Rate: 40 litres per hectare.
- Dilution: 1:15-20 with water, for both spraying and irrigation.
- Do not mix with acidic products, as it may precipitate.
Treating soil with a humic soil conditioner, in our experience, is worth doing several times a year, and on degraded soil that has lost its natural balance even 4 to 5 times, but at spring and autumn at the very least. Visible results can be expected after the first treatments; the plants will be grateful for it.
What matters is that this is a process, not a one-off intervention: the balance of soil life does not return overnight, which is why regular reapplication counts, especially at the start of the transition. For field-scale application the 20-litre soil conditioner is the pack size.
Frequently asked questions
Can nitrogen fertiliser be left out if I use humic acid?
No. Humic acid is not a source of nitrogen. It improves the use of nitrogen that is applied and already present in the soil, so the rate can usually be reduced, but not brought to zero.
By how much can the fertiliser rate be reduced?
We put no single percentage here, because land quality, the soil's starting condition and the way a farm is managed differ so widely that an average figure would be false for most growers.
When do results show?
Change appears after the first treatments, but the balance of soil life takes months to recover. That is why spring and autumn treatment at minimum is recommended.
Can it be used in organic farming?
Yes, it is a soil conditioner approved under (EEC) 834/2007.
What is the raw material?
Lignite: plant matter transformed over millions of years. Its humic acid content is 60 percent, which is why we start from it. The humic acid content of our product extracted from it is at least 50 percent in dry matter.
Look after the structure of your soil sustainably, and after the health and vitality of your plants. Ask for the high-quality, fully water-soluble humic products from Huminexpert.
"Huminexpert - reviving the original power of the earth".
Updated: September 2026. Product data are as per the 2026 label.
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