Geohumus

Geohumus is a commercial product, made in Germany, which is used for soil improvement. It is a countermeasure against soil salination and supports plant growth. The word Geo is a Greek prefix meaning "earth" in the sense of "ground or land". Humus is Latin for soil and is often used simply to mean mature compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil.

The weakened soil problem

*Often, only a fraction of the water that goes into the soil is actually available for the roots of plants because much of it evaporates or runs off. Geohumus seeks to mitigate these hindrances to plant growth, as follows.

*For optimum growth, plants need not only light, warmth and air but also a continuous supply of water and nutrients. Depending upon soil characteristics and soil use, plants may suffer from a lack of nutrients and/or water. This shortage hinders growth and reduces yields. Plants are particularly susceptible to dehydration, also known as water stress, in arid climates and areas where soil retains little water (for example: sandy soil). Yields can decline under such conditions. A shortage of nutrients and trace elements can also have a negative effect upon plant growth.

*Water-soluble nutrients and trace elements can be quickly washed out of the soil and seep into groundwater and streams. The accumulation of nutrients in rivers, streams and lakes can have a harmful impact on ecological systems, as increased algae growth near the water’s surface prevents life-giving sunlight from penetrating to deeper levels.

The effect of the countermeasure

*This product is a sponge-like inorganic composite material that acts as a soil enhancer.
*It is intended to improve the continuous supply of water and nutrients on a sustained basis when it is introduced directly to the plant root zone.
*Geohumus combines the water-retention capacity of high-performance polymers (of the type used in baby diapers, for example) with a continuous nutrient supply provided by admixed finely-pulverised volcanic stone-meal, a material known for its fertilising properties.
*Geohumus swells as it absorbs water and shrinks during dry spells. This process is constantly repeated under natural or agricultural conditions and thus also serves to loosen the soil.
*This product contains additional plant-consumable silicate, which helps plants develop a more robust support structure. This also increases pest resistance in plants.
*The product has no known negative environmental effects and has been proven in governmental (at the University of Giessen) testing to be effective over an extended period of time.
*Although this product is not a fertiliser, it supports additional fertilisers as a storage medium which releases effective ingredients continuously for use by plants.

Re-application

The manufacturer recommends renewing the product every 3 - 5 years, depending on local conditions.

ee also

*Soil salination
*GEO
*Soil science

External links

* [http://www.mutmacher-der-nation.de/index.php?typ=5&id=48&story=260 Article about Geohumus (in German)]
* [http://www.startup-initiative.de/owx_1_2592_1_5_0_a9645494f46667.html German Founder Prize won by Geohumus (in German)]