“Miracle Humic” Revitalizes Soil and Boosts Durian Yields for Thai Farmers
24 September 2025
“Golden yellow color, plump and juicy texture, rich and sweet flavor, delicate fragrance,” these are the charming qualities of “Monthong,” one of the most favored Durian varieties of all time. Nevertheless, before Durian trees could bear flowers and fruits, farmers have to use chemical fertilizers to boost growth as well as a great deal of pesticides, all of which adds to the cost. There are also risks from the use of chemicals. However, the Durian garden “Kanruethai” has chosen the organic farming method by using “humic,” an alternative for modern farmers which is the solution to health, budget, and environmental problems.
Fertilizers, Pesticides, Hard Soil, Waterlogging, Rotten Roots, Diseases…A Farmer’s Vicious Cycle
“Oak,” the owner and caretaker of the Durian garden “Kanruethai” in Chanthaburi Province, told us the story of his gardening journey over the years. In the past, he used to follow traditional practices, including watering the plants, fertilizing, spraying pesticides, and using available chemicals. Although he tried to take care of the plants regularly, the results were unsatisfactory. The soil became compact and hard, water could not penetrate through, the roots did not spread, and when it rained, there was waterlogging. In the end, the Durian trees had diseases and produced few and small-sized fruits, which led to the increase of fertilizers and chemicals, making the soil even more compact and not loose, becoming a vicious cycle. Until he reached the key turning point from the concept of “Good soil is the beginning of good products.” He decided to start over by restoring the degraded soil with humic from EGAT Mae Moh, a substance that turns poor-conditioned soil back to loose soil, allowing it to retain more nutrients, which has also helped revive the farming career to become strong and stable again.
Humic: From Million-Year-Old Plant and Animal Matter to a Modern Soil Conditioner
As a result of the opening of the mine of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) in order to utilize lignite, there is a layer of soil mixed with coal known as “leonardite” which cannot be used as fuel for electricity generation. However, leonardite is actually a natural material that has a hidden value; it is rich in organic matter from plant and animal remains that have been accumulating and decomposing for millions of years. EGAT has collaborated with researchers from Kasetsart University to study and develop the process of extracting active substances from leonardite to produce “humic” in liquid form, transforming something that was once useless into something invaluable. This research also won a silver medal at an international competition in Switzerland, guaranteeing the capability of Thai innovations to improve soil quality and enhance agricultural productivity sustainably.
“Good Soil is the Beginning of Good Products”
“Humic” has undergone a meticulous leonardite extraction process, ensuring purity and safety for customers and the environment. More importantly, it is highly concentrated with a high cation exchange rate, which means it has the ability to retain and release nutrients necessary for plant growth efficiently, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc. With these special qualities, “humic” can condition the soil structure to become loose, well ventilated, able to retain water for a long time, and increase the efficiency of nutrient absorption for plants, making the plants grow strong and healthy, even in areas where the soil used to have poor conditions, whether it is clay soil or sandy soil.
Real Use, Real Results
Oak added that “I have tried using humic from EGAT Mae Moh to improve the soil in the Durian garden. I mixed a ratio of 1 liter of humic per 1,000 liters of water and sprayed it on the soil and leaves. It only took a short time, but from soil that was compact, hard, tough, not loose, highly acidic, it improved significantly. The first thing I noticed was its looseness; and when I measured the pH, it slowly adjusted to 6-6.5, which is especially suitable for growing Durians.”
When the soil became looser, water could penetrate well, there was no waterlogging, roots could spread efficiently, the Durian leaves appeared green and fresh. After using humic continuously, he began to see more changes in productivity. “I was happy to find out that after using this method regularly, the soil has improved. When the soil is good…the produce is also good,” Oak added with a smile.
Using humic continuously also improves the soil condition. With healthier soil, less fertilizer is needed. Humic increases the efficiency of nutrient absorption from the soil, making it unnecessary to use as much fertilizers as before, truly cutting down costs! Not to mention, you no longer have to use chemical fertilizers. Today, Oak’s Durian garden has become a genuine organic Durian garden. “Not only have our produce improved, our good soil has also been restored without having to rely on chemicals, making us as well as our customers feel happy and safe.” It has been proven by the analysis results of Durian samples in the laboratory which did not find any heavy metal residues, leading to Earthsafe organic certification which Oak takes great pride in.
Produced from 100% Thai Resources and Accessible to Thai Farmers
“Humic” is produced at EGAT Mae Moh’s pilot plant with the production capacity of over 420,000 liters/year. There are also plans to expand the capacity continuously to meet the demands of Thai farmers nationwide at an affordable price. It is sold at wholesale price at 35 Baht/liter (minimum of 1,000 liters) (for those interested, please contact Tel. +668 9641 6463), and retail price at 120 Baht/liter available at EGAT Co-op Shop (Tel. +66 2436 5983).
This is only one example of using “humic” from EGAT Mae Moh which not only revitalized the soil in Oak’s garden, but also became a major turning point that made him fall in love with farming again. What was once a degraded land has now given new life to the Durian trees. Now, the trees are easier to care for and the Durian fruit has a sweet and delicious flavor, deserving of being Thailand’s King of Fruits. Most importantly, we were able to see the hearts of farmers become “secure” and “sustainable” while standing proudly on their land once again.