Successful Spray Results with 50% Herbicide Reduction

What if we all used 50% less herbicide on habitat restoration projects? We think that possibility may now be a potential reality. For the past two years, Phoenix Habitats has trialed a 50% herbicide reduction with Humic acid adjuvants and achieved uniformly successful results on all targets from thistle to blackberry, ivy and more.

Humic acid, as described in our previous article here, are commonly used in agricultural practices to reduce the amount of fertilizers used for crops. It does this by enhancing the effect of fertilizers so that a smaller amount can be used for the same result. Specifically, it changes (or chelates) nutrients into forms that are more easily absorbed by plants.

In addition to enhancing uptake of fertilizers, humic acid can also increase the uptake of herbicides. By adding a small amount of humic acid (0.5 oz) to a 3 gallon backpack sprayer, we've shown that herbicide can be reduced by as much as 50% while achieving total mortality of target weeds.  We've tested two formulations below: (1) a standard mix for blackberry, thistle, and other herbaceous weeds, and (2) an English Ivy mix for ivy, small English Holly resprouts, and other plants with thicker, waxy leaf cuticles.

For both formulations, we reduced the active ingredients - Glyphosate and Triclopyr - by 50% and added just 0.5 oz of humic acid adjuvant to each pack. Our results were uniformly successful in every season (even Winter sprays), and sometimes more effective than conventional mixes with twice the herbicide products.

Forest understory sprays for English Ivy with humic acid, as seen in the picture above, have been more successful across the board than our previous sprays without conventional formulations and more active ingredients. In most Fall and Winter spray applications, 100% mortality was achieved with one spray treatment within 5 months of spraying.

So, once again, let's think about a possibility where 50% less herbicide is used on all restoration projects. I think we're getting close, and should pursue this research with haste.

Lastly, humic acid is not only effective for weed control, but is also extremely beneficial for improving soil quality. In our next article, we will discuss the effects of humic acid for reducing the effects of herbicide pollution, and actually helping to improve soil health over time.