Process for making a composite granule with rock phosphate, sulfur, and humic acid

1. A process for making a potassium humate, rock phosphate, sulfur composite granule, the process comprising:

obtaining a sample of a carbonaceous substance comprising humic acid and one or more other substances;

contacting the sample with an amount of an alkaline mixture, thereby forming an extraction mixture, the extraction mixture consisting essentially of a sludge component, the sludge component comprising, predominantly, the sample, and an extraction component, the extraction component comprising, predominantly, the alkaline mixture;

maintaining the sludge component in contact with the extraction component for a period of time sufficient for the extraction component to become relatively enriched in humic acid and the sludge component to become relatively depleted of humic acid;

separating the sludge component from the extraction component;

spray drying the extraction component, thereby forming a plurality of potassium humate powder particles, wherein the plurality of potassium humate powder particles is characterized by a moisture content between about 9% and about 15%;

obtaining a sulfur powder;

combining a rock phosphorous powder, the sulfur powder, and the plurality of potassium humate powder particles, thereby forming a homogenized mixture; and

compacting at least a portion of the homogenized mixture under conditions wherein the at least a portion of the homogenized mixture, as a result of the compacting, are made into a form of a granule;

thereby making a composite granule comprising potassium humate, rock phosphate, and sulfur.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur powder is an elemental sulfur.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur powder is a sulfate.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur powder is about 0.05% to about 50% of the homogenized mixture.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the composite granule has a pH of at least 2.5.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the composite granule has a pH of 2.5 to about 12.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the composite granule has a pH of about 7.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the homogenized mixture further includes combining a dormant microbial community composition.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the homogenized mixture further includes combining zinc sulfate.

10. A process for making a potassium humate, rock phosphate, sulfur composite granule, the process comprising:

obtaining a sample of a carbonaceous substance comprising humic acid and one or more other substances;

contacting the sample with an amount of an alkaline mixture, thereby forming an extraction mixture, the extraction mixture consisting essentially of a sludge component, the sludge component comprising, predominantly, the sample, and an extraction component, the extraction component comprising, predominantly, the alkaline mixture;

maintaining the sludge component in contact with the extraction component for a period of time sufficient for the extraction component to become relatively enriched in humic acid and the sludge component to become relatively depleted of humic acid;

separating the sludge component from the extraction component;

spray drying the extraction component, thereby forming a plurality of powder potassium humate particles, wherein the plurality of potassium humate powder particles is characterized by a moisture content between about 9% and about 15%;

obtaining a sulfur powder;

combining a rock phosphorous powder, the sulfur powder, and the plurality of potassium humate powder particles, thereby forming a homogenized mixture,

wherein the sulfur powder comprises about 1% to about 50% of the homogenized mixture; and

compacting at least a portion of the homogenized mixture under conditions wherein the at least a portion of the homogenized mixture, as a result of the compacting, are made into a form of a granule;

thereby making a composite granule comprising potassium humate, rock phosphate, and sulfur, wherein the composite granule has a pH of 2.5 to about 12.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of potassium humate powder particles comprises about 3% of the homogenized mixture, wherein the rock phosphorous powder comprises about 82% of the homogenized mixture, and wherein the sulfur powder comprises about 15% of the homogenized mixture.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the sulfur powder is an elemental sulfur.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein the sulfur powder is a sulfate.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein the composite granule has a pH of about 7.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the homogenized mixture further includes combining a dormant microbial community composition.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein the homogenized mixture further includes combining zinc sulfate.