부산대학교 도서관

Physical-chemical and biological properties of humic substances in relation to plant growth. A review. Humic substances (HS) are organic compounds resulting from the physical, chemical and microbiological transformation of plant and animal residues. Humic substances are heterogeneous and complex carbon macromolecules, which can be found in soils, sediments, surface water and leachates. They are derived from different humification processes, generating variable and complex molecules mainly composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and functional groups (COOH, OH, C = O). These substances are known to have an effect on soil properties, interacting with plant growth and development and with microorganism activity. The influence on plant growth is expressed directly through stimulation of biochemical and metabolic processes or indirectly through mineral nutrition improvement. But the intensity of the response is dependent on various parameters such as the origin, the nature of the initial organic matter, transformation processes, HS concentration, experimental conditions and plant species. The mechanisms by which HS cause their positive effects on plant growth are not yet fully understood.