Question
What is humus? Mention its properties.

Answer

Humus is a dark-coloured, amorphous substance accumulated by the process of humification during decomposition of detritus.

Properties:

  1. It is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate.
  2. Being colloidal in nature, it serves as a reservoir of nutrients.
  3. It improves the water-holding capacity of soil.

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