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Humic substances for abiotic stress resilience: current knowledge and perspectives
Hajar Salehi1, Davide Savy2, Maria Antonietta Rao2
1Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, Piacenza, 29122, Italy.
Humic substances (HS) improve plant resilience to abiotic stress, but their effectiveness varies. Research shows HS impact plant membranes and ion transport, yet clear structure-activity links and standardized reporting are lacking.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Physiology
- Soil Science
Background:
- Humic substances (HS) are widely used biostimulants to enhance plant abiotic stress tolerance.
- Their efficacy is inconsistent due to variations in source, composition, dose, and experimental setup.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review scientific studies on HS application for plant abiotic stress.
- To analyze the mode of action of HS based on recent research (2021-2025).
- To identify gaps in current research regarding HS characterization and application.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on humic substances and abiotic stress in plants.
- Analysis of recent research (2021-2025) focusing on the mode of action of HS.
- Synthesis of findings on HS chemical properties, plant responses, and stress conditions.
Main Results:
- HS influence plasma membrane function, ion transport, and redox balance.
- HS biological activity is linked to chemical characteristics like aromaticity and functional groups, but a predictive relationship is not established.
- Recent studies show insufficient reporting of HS characterization, dose normalization, and biological effects.
Conclusions:
- Standardized HS characterization and dosage recommendations are crucial for consistent results.
- Further research using high-throughput omics is needed to elucidate HS mode of action.
- Linking HS chemical properties to root-soil interactions and stress responses at multiple scales is essential.
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