Journal of Soil and Plant Interactions
Back to the articles list |
Back to browse issues page
1- Isfahan University of Technology
2- Isfahan University of Technology ,shariat@iut.ac.ir
2- Isfahan University of Technology ,
Abstract: (74 Views)
Humification is a fundamental stage in the stabilization of organic matter and the formation of persistent compounds such as humic (HA) and fulvic acids (FA) during composting and vermicomposting processes. This stage not only determines the maturity, stability, and final quality of the product but also plays a key role in the carbon biogeochemical cycle and the sustainable management of organic wastes. In this review article, the researchers published between 2000 and 2025 were reviewed to analyze various aspects of humification reactions, including their physical, chemical, and microbial mechanisms; commonly applied kinetic and mathematical models; influential factors (such as C/N ratio, feedstock characteristics, and additives); and optimization strategies. The results indicate that composting and vermicomposting follow different pathways of phenolic ring formation and polymerization depending on microbial communities and physical conditions. Additives such as biochar, metal oxides (Fe₂O₃ and MnO₂), and bio-ash significantly enhance redox-driven reactions and improve the HA/FA ratio. Classical kinetic models, including first-order, second-order, and parabolic models, are useful for predicting temporal changes in the humification index (HI), while artificial intelligence approaches such as artificial neural networks (ANN) and random forest (RF) have shown superior performance in capturing the nonlinear behavior of these reactions. Recent studies highlight that future research will focus on developing multiscale hybrid models, integrating omics-based datasets with kinetic frameworks, utilizing engineered enzymes, and implementing intelligent real-time control systems at industrial scale. Overall, deep mechanistic understanding and intelligent modeling of humification processes offer new opportunities for sustainable bioconversion of organic wastes, carbon emission reduction, and the production of high-quality biofertilizers within a circular bioeconomy framework.
Keywords: Humification, Composting, Vermicomposting, Kinetic models, Artificial intelligence, Humic and fulvic acids.
Type of Study: case report |
Subject:
Soil health association with soil-plant interactions
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Journal of Soil and Plant Interactions by http://jspi.iut.ac.ir is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
