Humic field biostimulation as a sustainable agricultural practice to increase yield of main grains: evidence from on-farm trials

Summary

The HB increased the average yield of all five crops. The overall mean yield response was significant, ranging from 7.6% to 15.7% for rice and maize, respectively. In barley, HB showed greater effectiveness at lower-yielding sites, reaching ~4 t ha^-1. In rice, a tendency towards a greater impact on low- and high-yield OFTs was observed. In contrast, HB had a relatively constant effect on maize, wheat, and soybeans. Based on empirical data (normal scenario), the net economic returns varied from US $85.1 to $122.0 ha^-1 for wheat and maize, respectively. The probability of exceeding the break-even cost ranged from 83.4% to 89.1% for soybean and wheat, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a single foliar application of HB at a critic