Carbon Amino Acid Complex
The Importance of Carbon in High-Efficiency Fertilizers
Posted in Best Turf Management Practices, General by Curtis Williams
By DALE MILLER, National Agronomist
Carbon plays a significant role in high-efficiency turf fertilizers, similar to its importance in other types of fertilizers. Here are some key aspects highlighting the significance of carbon in many of the turf fertilizers offered by AmeriTurf:
1. Soil Health and Organic Matter: Carbon is a vital component of soil organic matter, which is crucial for maintaining healthy turfgrass. High-efficiency turf fertilizers that contain carbon help enhance soil structure, water-holding capacity, and nutrient retention. They contribute to the development of a robust soil ecosystem, supporting beneficial microbial activity and improving overall soil health.
2. Enhanced Fertilizer Benefits: Various forms of carbon are vital components of soil organic matter and all organisms on earth. Carbon is not fully understood in its benefits but has proven for many years, that it will enhance the benefits of applied fertilizer as well as reduce inputs and support biological activity. Increasing the performance and uptake, residual and availability of fertilizer is reducing inputs significantly and not contributing excess or baggage to the soil system.
Carbon sources can be 100% natural or in the form of Amino Acids, Fulvic Acids, Humic Acids or even longer chain carbon sources. These carbon sources have the ability to hold and give up nutrients based on their exchange capacity and time to be digested in the soil. Specific carbon molecules can carry nutrition or facilitate the uptake of nutrition in the plant. The first step in plant use of Nitrogen is to combine it with carbon to form amino acids. An amino acid is a C, H, O, N molecule with the ability to hold a cation as it has a net negative charge.
Other carbon sources can help build soil stability and structure. Others help complex, chelate elements as well as buffer salts in soils. All act as various chain length food sources for the microbes which are absolutely critical in soils for nutrient value and conversion to usable forms. The synergistic relationship between plants and microbes is well documented yet only at the infancy stage of understanding and development.
3. Hormonal Response: Carbon compounds also act to stimulate hormonal responses in the plant. These are natural and ongoing.
4. Nutrient Availability and Uptake: Carbon-based compounds, such as humic and fulvic acids, can form complexes with nutrients, making them more available for turfgrass uptake. These compounds help chelate essential nutrients, preventing them from being locked up in the soil, chemically reacted or washed away. Carbon-rich fertilizers promote nutrient efficiency, ensuring that turfgrass receives the necessary elements for optimal growth and development.
5. Root Development and Growth: Carbon-based fertilizers stimulate root development in turfgrass. They provide a source of energy and promote root elongation, allowing for better nutrient and water absorption. Strong and extensive root systems contribute to healthier turfgrass, increased tolerance to stress conditions, and improved overall turf quality. This is very evident with warm season grass formation of rhizomes and stolon’s and the subsequent thickening as they store more and more carbohydrates.
6. Stress Resistance: Turf areas often face various stresses such as heat, drought, and disease pressure. Carbon-containing fertilizers can enhance turfgrass resilience by supporting microbial communities that assist in disease suppression and stress tolerance. They also improve the soil’s ability to retain moisture, reducing water stress on the turfgrass during dry periods.
7. Carbon Sequestration: Incorporating carbon into turf fertilizers contributes to carbon sequestration in the soil. Turf areas can serve as carbon sinks by storing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in the form of organic matter. Plants, soil micro-organisms and CO2 have a unique relationship with each requiring soluble carbon as part of their daily life cycle. Respiration, Photosynthesis, and soil carbonic acid formation are all CO2 dependent. All natural and beneficial uses of CO2.
8. Sustainability and Environmental Considerations: High-efficiency turf fertilizers that incorporate carbon align with sustainable turf management practices. They support the reduction of synthetic inputs, promote nutrient stewardship, and contribute to environmental conservation. By improving soil health, nutrient availability, and carbon sequestration, these fertilizers contribute to sustainable turfgrass management.
Overall, carbon plays a crucial role in high-efficiency turf fertilizers by enhancing soil health, improving nutrient availability, promoting root development, supporting stress resistance, and contributing to sustainable turf management practices. By considering carbon alongside other essential nutrients, these fertilizers can help achieve healthy, resilient, and environmentally friendly turf areas.