Humic substances as plants biostimulantsunder environmental stress conditions

Abstract

Plants are frequently subjected to unfavorable situations for their optimal development and operation caused by alterations in the environment. This set of unfavorable situations is known as environmental stress. Biostimulants are substances that by their action can stimulate the plant growth, improve the absorption of nutrients and increase yields under environmental stress conditions regardless of whether they contain nutrients in their composition. There are several categories of specific biostimulants, among them protein hydrolysates, algae extracts, chitosan, humic and fulvic acids, mycorrhizal fungi and growth promoting bacteria. The objective of this review is to inform the biostimulating effect of the application of humic substances in plants under stress conditions. It also synthesizes aspects related to humic substances such as their structural characteristics and classification. Results are shown using humic substances as biostimulants where their potential to stimulate different metabolic and physiological processes in abiotic stress conditions is demonstrated. It concludes that humic substances present a complex structure, a multiplicity of functional groups and small molecules that interact by weak junctions, which makes them exhibit a great variety of beneficial functions among which is their potential to increase the yields and attenuate the effects of abiotic stresses. Therefore they constitute a viable alternative to avoid the consequences of climate change and use natural and environmentally friendly products.