Compost Tea on a Cumin Crop Prove to be an Incredible Combination

Evaluate the effect of compost tea and some chelated micronutrients forms on black cumin productivity
January 2019
SN Applied Sciences
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The Desert Research Station in Baluza, Egypt had a busy 2018 investigating the efficacy of compost tea on their sandy soils.  Research scientists wanted to know what effect compost tea in combination with the chelating agents EDTA and Humic Acid had on the growth of Cumin, a plant valuable as a food and medicine. 
      Chlelators are molecules that hold onto biologically essential micronutrients in such a way that the micronutrients are kept available for plant use.  EDTA is a synthetic, slowly to biodegrade chemical that has been shown to have toxic effects on animals, while humic acid is a natural compound that has poses no known risk to natural systems.  
      The scientists had 8 different treatments: Compost Tea Foliar Spray, Compost Tea Soil Drench, EDTA Foliar, EDTA & Compost Tea Foliar, EDTA & Compost Tea Drench, Humic Foliar, Humic & Compost Tea Foliar, and Humic and Compost Tea Drench.  The variables that they looked at were: Plant Height, Dry Weight, Weight of Seeds, Oil Percentage, Volatile Oils, and residual Nutrient content in Plants.   The 8 treatments were administered twice during the growing season, at 35 and 70 days after seedling emergence.   All treatments including the control were fed a conventional fertilizer at recommended rates. 
      The researchers grew some pretty outstanding results.  In all treatments there was an increase in all measured variables, however the highest values were seen in the Compost Tea and Humic Acid Foliar treatment.  Plant height, dry weight and weight of seeds, oil percentage and volatile oils were to shown to be maximized by foliar spraying compost tea that included humic acid.  The next highest values were generally seen in the  Compost Tea and Humic Acid soil drench.  Across the board it was clear that compost tea and humic acid are beneficial to plant growth.  
       The researchers conclude that compost tea combined with humic acid provides a significant boost to productivity.  Humic acid is a viable, safe, and better alternative to EDTA.  A big thank you to the cumin cultivating scientists of Beluza, Egypt. 

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