Alessandro Piccolo

TL;DR: In this paper, the scientific understanding of the molecular size and shape of humic substances (HS) is critically reviewed and the traditional view that HS are polymers in soil is not substantiated by any direct evidence but is assumed only on the basis of laboratory experiments with model molecules and unwarranted assumptions.

TL;DR: A review of the scientific understanding of the molecular structure of humic substances can be found in this paper, where a large body of evidence suggests that the traditional view that humic compounds are polymers in soil is not substantiated by any direct evidence but only assumed on the basis of laboratory experiments with model molecules and unwarranted results by incorrectly applying either analytical procedures or mathematical treatments developed for purified and undisputed biopolymers.

TL;DR: The Chemical Structure of Humic Substances: Recent Advances (Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez). Chapter 2. Humus in World Soils (Francis Andreux). Chaptr 3. Organic Matter Dynamics in Forest Soils of Temperate and Tropical Ecosystems (Wolfgang Zech et al.).

TL;DR: In this article, the authors define humic substances in a horticultural context and present a general schematic model of plant-humic responses, highlighting the relationship between the chemical properties of humified matter and its bioactivity with specific reference to the promotion of lateral root growth.

TL;DR: Advances in water chemistry in the last decade have improved knowledge about the genesis, composition, and structure of dissolved organic matter, and its effect on the environment, and improved purification methods have enabled facile desalting and concentration of freshly collected DOM samples, thereby complementing the analytical process.