Olds College Center for Innovation (OCCI) is collaborating with AgTek 360 on a three-year applied research project from 2025 to 2028.
It will evaluate humic-based products that aim to improve soil health as part of the company’s regenerative farming initiatives. The project is being conducted at the Olds College Smart Farm, which is a living laboratory on campus for crop, livestock and agricultural technology research spread over 3,000 acres. Researchers are examining how humic-based soil amendments applied in different forms influence soil health and overall crop performance.
Soil health is a fundamental pillar of sustainable agriculture that directly influences crop resilience and long-term farm productivity. Healthy soils support active microbial communities which derive essential biological processes such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycles, ensuring continuous nutrient availability and enhanced soil structure that promote crop development and resilience. However, soil health deterioration associated with nutrient depletion and reduced microbial activities over time might present a major challenge in the modern farming system, leading to declining crop productivity and sustainability.
The study will compare the effectiveness of three different formulations of humic products: raw product (granular), semi-soluble and soluble by assessing their impact on enhancing soil health and supporting sustainable crop development. The project is based on the hypothesis that humic products formulated as granular, semi-soluble or soluble forms will differently influence the soil health and overall crop performance due to variations in nutrient release rates, soil interaction dynamics, plant nutrient uptake efficiency and potential environmental losses.