Humic acid fertilizers drive the transition from old to new growth drivers and boost rural revitalization.

On April 7, Zhang Xiansheng, President of Shandong Agricultural University, led a delegation of six faculty members from the College of Life Sciences to visit Nongda Fertilizer Co., Ltd. to discuss the progress of humic acid mechanism research and related experimental work. Attending the meeting were Ma Xuewen, Chairman and General Manager of Nongda Fertilizer; Ding Fangjun, Deputy General Manager and Director of the Soil and Ecology Research Institute at Nongda Fertilizer; Vice Director Chen Shigeng; Senior Engineer Wu Qinqquan, who specializes in humic acid research; Hong Pizheng, Secretary-General of the Product Management Committee at Nongda Fertilizer; and Researcher Lu Yanyan.

Professor Li Xingguo of Shandong Agricultural University presented an update on the project’s progress. In the preliminary phase, the research team conducted comparative experiments using humic acids of varying molecular weights to assess their effects on root growth in crops such as wheat, soybean, and Arabidopsis, and has confirmed the beneficial impact of humic acids on plant growth and development.

During the meeting, Ma Xuewen engaged in an in-depth exchange with Zhang Xiansheng, addressing issues such as “how humic acid fertilizers are driving the transformation of the fertilizer industry from old to new growth drivers.” He concluded that humic acid–based fertilizers deliver significant benefits, including enhanced agricultural product quality and improved soil health. Derived from the soil and applied back to it, humic acid plays a vital role in reducing chemical fertilizer use while boosting efficiency, and in ensuring food safety—both pressing priorities today. The present and the foreseeable future represent a golden era for the development of the humic acid fertilizer industry, which will spearhead rural revitalization and contribute to resolving the contradiction between the people’s growing aspirations for a better life and the imbalances and inadequacies in development.

It is reported that, as a leading brand of humic‑acid fertilizers in China, Nongda Fertilizer Industry believes that strengthening research into the underlying mechanisms of humic acids is of paramount importance, with the aim of fostering faster and more robust development of the country’s humic‑acid industry. To this end, in 2017, Nongda Fertilizer Industry entered into a strategic partnership with Shandong Agricultural University to investigate the mechanisms by which humic acids regulate plant growth and development. This collaborative effort was undertaken at a high level by the research group led by President Zhang Xiansheng of Shandong Agricultural University, with the goal of comprehensively applying techniques from developmental biology, cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology to elucidate how humic acids modulate crop growth and development.