K Arun Kumar

Humic substances (Humin, fulvic and Humic acids) are widely used as fertilizers or plant growth stimulants, although their mechanism of action still remains partially unknown. Humic substances may be applied either directly to the soil or as foliar sprays. Despite both kind of application are commonly used in agricultural practices, most of the studies regarding the elicited response in plants induced by HS are based on the rootapplication of these substances. Humic acid is an eco-friendly product needed in lesser quantity when compared to other chemical fertilizers and manures. Humic Acid can be integrated into the soils in the form of manure, it improves the physical properties of the soil. Advantage of humate based fertilizers to the soil is that the producer can again become a steward of the soil by developing a more ecologically sound agricultural production system (Ravichandran 2011). Humates enhances the crop productivity not only through improving physical chemical and biological properties of soil (Keeling et al., 2003; Mikkelsen, 2005) [20], but it also offers plants resistance to pest and disease, besides acting as the growth stimulant.

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