On February 23, 2025, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Further Deepening Rural Reform and Solidly Promoting Rural Revitalization" was officially released; on the 24th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs quickly issued the "Implementation Opinions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on the Work Deployment of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Further Deepening Rural Reform and Solidly Promoting Rural Revitalization" (No. 1 [2025] of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs). Humic acid, as an important support for green agricultural development, allows new humic acid to directly address ten key tasks: grain yield increase,耕地 protection and quality improvement, integrated pest management of crops, diversified food systems, high-quality forage production, high-standard farmland construction, national breeding base construction, agricultural resource conservation and utilization, agricultural product quality and safety, and rural ecological environment governance. It systematically promotes work innovation through five dimensions.

I. New Humic Acid Strengthens Improvement of Cultivated Land Quality

1. Repairing Degraded Cultivated Land

The prominent problems of cultivated land degradation in China include salinization, acidification, and impoverishment. The scientific application of humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, humic acid soil improvers, and their compound preparations can exert their acid-base buffering function, adjusting acidity when encountering acid and alkalinity when encountering alkali, thereby achieving the purpose of improving saline-alkali land and treating acidified soil, while simultaneously improving soil productivity. It is evident that applying new humic acid series products to 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land can effectively curb the problem of cultivated land becoming "thinner, poorer, and harder," maintaining the basic fertility and sustained productivity of cultivated land, and laying a solid foundation for national food security. It is particularly noteworthy that black soil is the "giant panda" among China's cultivated land; its core material basis lies in the humic acid component—increasing the humic acid content is key to protecting the black soil ecosystem, and enhancing the activity of humic acid is key to protecting the sustainable utilization of cultivated land.

2. Improving High-Standard Farmland

The construction of high-standard farmland aims to ensure China's grain output and food security, improve farmland grades, and increase farmers' income. Soil cultivation and conservation are an important part of high-standard farmland construction, highly consistent with the "soil-fertilizer harmony" concept of humic acid. By using industrialization to support new humic acid, returning the humic acid in the soil to the soil, promoting the formation of soil aggregate structure, improving soil fertility, and optimizing the farmland ecological environment. In addition, combined with Internet of Things technology, by constructing an integrated technical service system of "cloud platform monitoring—precision fertilization—dynamic control," the precise application of humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products can be achieved, improving the efficiency and scientific nature of high-standard farmland management.

3. Governing Cultivated Land Pollution

Polluted cultivated land mainly includes inorganic pollutant pollution and organic pollutant pollution. For heavy metal pollution in inorganic pollutants in the soil, humic acid can directly interact with heavy metals through physical adsorption, complexation (chelation), oxidation-reduction, and leaching desorption reactions, causing them to lose their biological activity; or by promoting the synergistic remediation of hyperaccumulator plants to achieve the purpose of repairing heavy metal-contaminated soil. For organic pollutants in the soil, humic acid can lose its activity or degrade through adsorption coprecipitation, oxidation-reduction, and microbial degradation, thereby "detoxifying" the soil and restoring the ecological function of the soil.

II. New Humic Acid Improves Crop Yield and Quality

1. Protecting Crops Throughout Their Entire Growth Cycle

Humic acid protects crops throughout their entire growth cycle, starting from the seed source. In the seed production stage, humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products act on the parents, improving the development of floral organs and pollination efficiency, promoting seed substance accumulation, and achieving simultaneous improvement in seed production yield and quality. In the seed treatment stage, humic acid coating technology can significantly enhance seed germination potential, disease resistance, and storability. In the sowing stage, humic acid seed soaking agents and seed dressing agents can effectively improve the uniformity of field emergence and the vitality of seedlings' root systems, promoting seedling growth. In terms of nutrient management throughout the crop's growth cycle, humic acid single fertilizers, humic acid compound fertilizers, humic acid organic fertilizers, humic acid water-soluble fertilizers, humic acid trace element fertilizers, and humic acid biofertilizers, applied as base fertilizers or topdressing at different growth stages, can provide comprehensive protection for crop yield and quality improvement. After more than 50 years of field practice verification, humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products have shown significant yield-increasing effects on major grain crops such as wheat, rice, and corn (see the content of the "Soil-Fertilizer Harmony" column in issues 3-5 of 2024 of this journal).

2. Establishing a Crop Resistance and Stable Yield Mechanism

Throughout the entire growth cycle of crops, the regulatory role of environmental factors on crop growth and development is continuous. Enhancing crop resistance is the key to coping with adverse stress and achieving stable and increased yields. Humic acid biostimulants can reduce the damage caused by adversity to crops and ensure normal crop growth by regulating the osmotic regulatory substances in crops, increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reducing the level of membrane lipid peroxidation. Under drought conditions, humic acid can also improve water use efficiency and reduce the damage caused by drought stress to crops, achieving stable or even increased yields, through the dual effects of reducing stomatal aperture to reduce crop transpiration efficiency and improving soil water retention. In addition, humic acid, applied alone or in combination with pesticides, has a significant control effect on various pests and diseases, while reducing pesticide use, achieving an organic unity of plant protection benefits and ecological safety (see the content of the "Humic Acid Digest" column in issue 5 of 2024 of this journal).

3. Improving the Quality of Diversified Food

A large amount of research and practice has shown that humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products are widely used in more than 100 kinds of crops, including field crops, vegetables, and fruit trees, and have a significant effect on improving the quality of agricultural products (see the content of the "Soil-Fertilizer Harmony" column in issues 4-6 of 2021 of this journal). In the fields of Chinese medicinal herb planting, forage production, and edible fungus cultivation, humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products can also significantly improve the quality of medicinal herbs, forage, and edible fungi. In addition, humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products can reduce heavy metals and pesticide residues in agricultural products, improving the safety of agricultural products. It is evident that humic acid and its derivative products can contribute to diversified food supply in multiple ways, improve the quality of agricultural and sideline products, and meet consumers' demand for high-quality food.

III. New Humic Acid Promotes Green Agricultural Development

1. Governing Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution

Humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products mainly address agricultural non-point source pollution from the source. In terms of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the quality and efficiency of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can be improved, the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used can be reduced, and the residue of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the soil can be reduced; especially when used with nitrogen fertilizers, it can also reduce ammonia nitrogen emissions. In terms of agricultural films, humic acid degradable films can replace traditional "white films", reducing film residue from the source. In terms of agricultural waste, crop straw, livestock and poultry manure, and other biomass resources are used as composting raw materials to produce organic fertilizers rich in humic acid, realizing resource utilization, harmlessness, and low-carbon utilization, and reducing the pollution of agricultural waste to the environment; moreover, adding humic acid during composting can reduce the emission of harmful gases and reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals.

2. Linking the synergistic increase of planting and breeding cycles

Humic acid links livestock and poultry manure, straw resource utilization, soil improvement, and crop quality improvement to form a planting and breeding cycle model of "breeding-composting-planting", achieving the triple goal of "pollution reduction-soil fertility improvement-increased income". In the breeding process, humic acid feed additives can improve digestive system function, improve feed utilization rate, and improve animal growth performance; in the composting process, humic acid, as a bioactive carrier, can promote the efficient conversion of livestock and poultry manure and straw composting materials, improving the quality of compost products; in the planting process, the role of humic acid fertilizer is self-evident, improving soil structure, improving nutrient absorption efficiency, promoting crop growth, enhancing crop resistance, increasing crop yield, and improving crop quality, etc.

3. Contributing to agricultural carbon sequestration and emission reduction

As we all know, soil is the largest carbon pool in the biosphere, accounting for 85%; humic acid is the largest carbon pool in the soil, accounting for 80%, and is the "ballast" that stabilizes the soil carbon pool. Humic acid fertilizers can contribute to agricultural carbon sequestration and emission reduction in three ways during production and use. First, reduce energy consumption and emissions during production; second, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers (see the content of the "Humic Acid Digest" column in the fourth issue of this journal in 2024) and greenhouse gas emissions during use; third, enhance crop photosynthesis and improve crop carbon sequestration capacity during use. Through humic acid fertilizers and their derivative products feeding back to agriculture, it will help to achieve the goal of "dual carbon agriculture" as soon as possible.

IV. Technological Empowerment: Iteration and Upgrade of New Humic Acid

1. Technological Innovation Promotes the Upgrade of New Humic Acid

Traditional humic acid extraction processes have problems such as low efficiency, low purity, and high energy consumption. The innovation driven by modern technology has given rise to a new extraction technology system, such as extraction using green solvents (supercritical fluids, deep eutectic solvents), microbial/enzyme-assisted extraction, ultrasonic/microwave-assisted extraction, and membrane separation extraction, which can extract humic acid with high purity while reducing environmental pollution. Combining molecular directional design technology and bio-synthesis engineering technology, through grafting copolymerization, sulfonation/oxidation modification, cross-linking reaction, microbial metabolic modification, enzyme-catalyzed modification, nano-composite modification, photocatalytic modification, and composite enhancement strategies, the humic acid molecular structure is directionally designed and modified to have better properties, such as enhanced absorption and slow-release capacity of nutrients in the soil. In addition, with the help of automated control and intelligent monitoring systems, the temperature, acidity, and key parameters are precisely controlled to improve the production efficiency of humic acid.

2. Big Data Control: Precision Fertilization of New Humic Acid

Integrating the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence technologies to establish an intelligent fertilization decision-making system. Through field sensors, multi-dimensional data such as soil fertility, crop growth status, and meteorological environment are collected in real time. The system relies on artificial intelligence algorithms to intelligently analyze these data, combined with crop fertilizer requirements and soil nutrient characteristics, to generate precise fertilization plans, including fertilization amount, fertilization time, and fertilization methods. At the same time, it can also monitor soil environmental parameters in real time and precisely control the application amount of humic acid soil conditioners to achieve intelligent monitoring and refined management of the soil environment, maximizing the technical advantages of new humic acid serving new soil and fertilizers.

3. New Humic Acid and the Full-Chain Integration and Innovation of Smart Agriculture

The new humic acid and the full-chain technology system of smart agriculture achieve multi-dimensional integration. On the planting side, it is combined with agricultural drones and intelligent agricultural machinery equipment: agricultural drones can carry humic acid water-soluble fertilizers for precise spraying, significantly improving fertilization efficiency and fertilizer distribution uniformity; intelligent tillage machinery can, during soil tillage, implement on-demand variable application of humic acid products according to real-time monitoring data such as soil compactness and conductivity, achieving intelligent synergy between soil improvement and tillage. On the agricultural product circulation side, based on blockchain technology, key indicators such as the application amount, period, and environmental impact parameters of humic acid products are recorded and traced throughout their life cycle, driving the application scenarios of new humic acid to expand horizontally to functional foods and ecological certification fields. Ultimately, it builds a digital management system for soil-fertilizer-crop systems, accelerates the digital upgrade process of the entire industrial chain, and promotes the simultaneous improvement of agricultural ecological benefits and the level of industrial modernization.

V. Innovation and Standardization of the New Humic Acid Industry

1. Gathering the achievements of the ideological and theoretical results of new humic acid

The development of the environmentally friendly humic acid industry cannot be separated from the guidance of ideological and theoretical achievements. In 2017, on the 60th anniversary of its development, the environmentally friendly humic acid industry has obtained 55 ideological and theoretical achievements from practice (see document No. 2017-20 of the China Humic Acid Association). In 2024, on the 50th anniversary of the development of China's humic acid fertilizer industry, ten industrial development pointers have been accumulated in practice—①Five major functions ②Always adhere to "two unwavering" ③Three effects ④Two highs and three lows ⑤Three agents ⑥Two machines complement each other ⑦Two maximums ⑧Two combinations ⑨Black and white wisdom ⑩Two policies (see the content of "Ten Industrial Development Pointers of Humic Acid Fertilizers" in the fifth issue of this journal in 2024). The "soil-fertilizer harmony" ideology has been continuously deepened in practical application through nine sessions (2016-2024) of the "National Soil-Fertilizer Harmony Conference". Under the guidance of these advanced ideological and theoretical achievements, the humic acid agricultural industry continues to carry out technological revolution and model innovation.

2. Gathering the tremendous power of "one-stop" service

The environmentally friendly humic acid industry, especially the humic acid fertilizer industry, must bring together the forces of "government, economy, production, academia, research, application, and promotion" to build a "one-stop" collaborative innovation system. This system requires the joint participation of various forces, including policy guidance, financial support, scientific research, industrial transformation, product promotion, and end-user applications, to form an organic whole of closed-loop cooperation covering the innovation chain, industrial chain, and value chain. Through the construction of a full-process linkage platform of "basic research-technology development-product manufacturing-market application", effective integration from the discovery of field problems to the output of industrial solutions can be achieved. By establishing communication and cooperation among various participants, a synergistic effect of resource intensive utilization and complementary advantages can be formed, jointly driving the quality improvement and value creation of the entire humic acid industry chain, and effectively promoting the high-quality development of environmentally friendly industries.

3. Optimize the construction of the new humic acid agricultural standard system

Constructing a "humic acid +" new business model standardization system is an important support for promoting the high-quality development of the environmentally friendly humic acid industry, especially the humic acid fertilizer industry. Up to now, there are a total of 119 humic acid standards, of which 112 are related to agricultural development; there are more than 40,000 related documents, with more than 60% related to agricultural development; and more than 7,000 effective invention patents, with more than 60% related to agricultural development. Specifically, humic acid literature can provide a scientific basis and testing methods to support the theoretical framework of the standard; humic acid patents can enhance the practicality and adaptability of the standard through technological innovation and industrialization verification; both provide scientific support for optimizing the new humic acid agricultural standard service system. Humic acid industry practitioners actively participate in the formulation and revision of humic acid standards, improve the standard system construction, and lay the foundation for the standardized and standardized development of the industry.

The "roadmap" of the Central No. 1 document and the implementation opinions of the No. 1 document of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (2025) have clarified the development direction of new humic acid serving new soil and fertilizers. From the classic practices of cultivated land protection and quality improvement, agricultural product yield increase and quality improvement, to the industrial practices empowered by green development and technological innovation, the entire industry must closely follow policies, under the guidance of the ideological and theoretical achievements of the humic acid industry, integrate resources from "government, economy, production, academia, research, application, and promotion", bring together the tremendous power of a "one-stop" approach, continuously improve the technical efficiency of new humic acid serving new soil and fertilizers, and accelerate the progress of China's agriculture towards a new journey of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.