These substances are formed from the biological and chemical breakdown of animal and plant life, and make up approximately 75 percent of the organic matter that exists in most mineral soils.
Humates play a direct role in determining the production potential of a soil.
The importance of organic matter in soil is not a recent discovery. Soil fertility in early agricultural systems was based on the recycling of organic wastes, and the addition of decomposed organic materials improved plant growth. The rise in popularity and use of mineral fertilizers enabled growers to directly supply plant nutrients to the soil, and rapid growth in agricultural productivity occurred. As a consequence, the importance of soil organic matter was somewhat neglected. In Florida, organic matter should be considered as very important due to the sandy nature of the soil.