Xanthan gum is a widely used microbial exopolysaccharide produced by Xanthomonas campestris using carbohydrates (such as corn starch) as its primary feedstock through fermentation. Studies have shown that it significantly inhibits water volatilization. When applied to soil, it reduces evaporation, thereby affecting the soil’s hydraulic conductivity, altering the transport patterns of water and solutes within the soil and crop physiology. It can retain water and fertilizer, reducing pollutant leaching.
Potassium humate is a condensation product of polyvalent phenolic aromatic compounds and nitrogen compounds. It not only provides essential potassium for plant growth but also regulates plant growth. It can improve soil permeability, enhance soil water and fertilizer retention, and improve crop drought resistance. Some experts believe that applying humic acid to tobacco-growing soil can improve soil physical and chemical properties, promote the growth of the three major bacterial communities within the soil, and enhance soil microbial diversity. Potassium humate can also promote the release of fertilizers into the soil, increasing their utilization rate.
Studies have shown that direct application of nutrient soil increases bacterial diversity in soils. This may be due to the nutrient-rich input of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate fertilizers, which stimulates bacterial growth. Application of potassium humate, however, slightly reduces bacterial richness but promotes fungal growth and reproduction. Soil moisture content affects not only microbial abundance but also population richness and the ultimate outcome of population turnover. Therefore, in addition to microbial abundance, the composition of dominant soil microbial populations should be considered. Compared with nutrient soil, application of a combination of xanthan gum and potassium humate reduced bacterial structural diversity but stimulated fungal growth. It also increased the abundance of beneficial bacterial communities, such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Lysobacter, while inhibiting the proliferation of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi. In summary, xanthan gum and potassium humate treatments effectively improve the soil environment and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.
| Effects on soil | Effects on crops | Effects on microorganisms | |
| Xanthan gum | – reduce water evaporation, affect the hydraulic conductivity of the soil, change the movement of water and solutes in the soil – store water and fertilizer, and reduce the leaching and loss of pollutants | / | / |
| Potassium humate | – provide essential potassium for plant growth – improve soil permeability, enhances soil water and fertilizer retention and crop drought resistance -promote the release of fertilizer in the soil and improves its utilization rate | – play a certain role in regulating plant growth | – slightly reduce bacterial population richness, but promote soil fungal growth and reproduction |
| Application of a combination of xanthan gum and potassium humate | – effectively improve soil environment | – promote the growth and development of crops | – reduce bacterial structural diversity but stimulates fungal growth – increase the abundance of beneficial bacterial communities (such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Lysobacter), and inhibit the proliferation of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi |
If you are interested in Humic Acid, Bio Fungicide, and Organic Biostimulants, please feel free to contact Dora.