The researchers wanted to find a way to reduce the loss of nitrogen from fertilizer, which contributes to global warming. They tested using liquid humic and fulvic acids from tropical peat soil to see if they could help retain nitrogen in the soil. They found that adding these acids to urea fertilizer reduced nitrogen loss and increased the amount of nitrogen available to plants. The acids also helped lower the pH of the soil. Overall, using these organic acids could be a cost-effective way to prevent nitrogen loss and improve plant growth in acidic soils.