Khumate S100 (Australia)

HUMUS                                           (Latin word for earth and ground)

Humus is a fraction of a soil organic mater, which is defined as a brown to black complex variable of carbon containing compounds not recognized under a light microscope as possessing cellular organization in the form of plant and animal bodies.

Humus is separated from the non humic substances such as carbohydrates (a major fraction of soil carbon), fats, waxes, alkanes, peptides, amino acids, proteins, lipids and organic acids by the fact that distinct chemical formulae can be written for these non humic substances. Most small molecules of non humic substances are rapidly degraded by microorganisms within the soil.

In contrast, soil humus is slow to decompose (degrade) under natural soil conditions. When in combination with soil minerals, soil humus can persist in the soil for several hundred years. Humus is the major soil organic matter

component, making up 65% to 75% of the total.

Humus assumes an important role as a fertility component of all soils, far in excess of the percentage contribution it makes to the total soil mass.

Humus is composed of HUMIC SUBSTANCES and these humic substances are:

(1) HUMIN, (2) HUMIC ACIDS (HAs), and (3) FULVIC ACIDS (FAs).