In an era marked by the intertwined challenges of global climate change and food security, the agricultural sector's ability to achieve simultaneous greenhouse gas emission reduction and production capacity enhancement has become a focal point of international concern. Recently, the World Bank's Executive Board approved the China Low-Carbon Agriculture and Soil Health Improvement Project (Hubei Pilot), sending a significant signal. The project utilizes a €138.7 million (approximately $150 million) loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with an implementation period from 2025 to 2030. Soil health management technology centered on humic acid is emerging as a key solution to the challenges of sustainable agricultural development.

Humic acid is the soul of the soil, the root of planting, and the bridge and link to promoting sustainable planting. 51 years of industrial practice have fully demonstrated that humic acid, humic acid fertilizers, and their derivative products, through a "reduction-addition synergy" mechanism, empower low-carbon and increased agricultural production.

I. Humic Acid Fertilizer Reduction. (1) Low-carbon production: In terms of controlling emissions from the source of fertilizer production, the production of 1 kg of humic acid saves approximately 62,500 kJ of energy, equivalent to 2 kg of standard coal, correspondingly reducing emissions by 5.6 kg CO2, 0.09 kg SO2, and 0.7 kg NO2. (2) Low-carbon application: Humic acid can increase fertilizer utilization efficiency by an average of more than 10 percentage points, equivalent to a net increase of 30% to 40% in current fertilizer utilization efficiency, while also inhibiting soil nitrification rate by 60% and reducing ammonia loss by 33.5% to 65.0%.

II. Humic Acid Fertilizer Addition. (1) Enhanced soil carbon sequestration capacity: Humic acid can promote the formation of >0.25 mm water-stable aggregates, reducing organic carbon mineralization rate by 25% to 40%, achieving carbon sequestration of 1.2 to 2.5 tons per hectare per year. (2) Enhanced crop carbon absorption: Studies have shown that for every 1 kg of humic acid applied, the amount of CO2 absorbed by plants increases by 240 kg.

Meanwhile, humic acid achieves comprehensive benefits of stress resistance and increased yield through multiple mechanisms, including optimizing the soil environment, activating microbial functions, and promoting root development. Dristy Roy et al. (2025) conducted the latest research on the effects of humic acid on the drought resistance and yield of wheat under water stress. The study showed that water deficit stress significantly reduced the morphological and physiological characteristics, yield components, and yield of two wheat genotypes, but the proline content in the flag leaf increased. Compared with soil application of humic acid, foliar application of humic acid was more effective in improving wheat's ability to withstand stressful environments. Under water deficit stress conditions, soil application of humic acid increased grain yield by 9.13% and 13.86%, and biomass yield by 9.94% and 5.19% for the two wheat varieties (BWMRI Gom 1 and BWMRI Gom 3), respectively; while foliar application increased grain yield by 24.76% and 25.19%, and biomass yield by 19.23% and 6.50%, respectively. The study also confirmed that in terms of alleviating the negative effects of drought stress on wheat, foliar application is superior to soil application in terms of stress alleviation efficacy and yield improvement. For details, click "Read more" at the end of the article.

With the World Bank loan project supporting China's low-carbon agriculture and soil health improvement, the application of humic acid and humic acid fertilizers in agriculture is ushering in a strategic opportunity. New humic acid farmers must fully recognize the enormous potential of new humic acid and new humic acid fertilizer productivity in agricultural emission reduction and improving farmland productivity, increase R&D investment, innovate humic acid fertilizers and related products, strengthen technology promotion and application guidance, and rely on digital technology to build a "reduction-sequestration-increase" monitoring and evaluation system. They should deepen the integrated application of technology in scenarios such as degraded farmland restoration and smart agriculture demonstration, further releasing the ecological value and economic efficiency of new humic acid productivity in agricultural emission reduction, and contributing a Chinese solution to global sustainable agricultural development.