Terpenes Behavior in Soil

Abstract

Soil is a complex and dynamic system in constant change due to its natural processes, as well as interaction among physical, chemical and biological characteristics that take part in it. However, the greatest transformation occurred due to the farm business and the adopted management system. Thus, man can manipulate some soil characteristics and make it more suitable for cropping development. Although anthropic action cannot fully control how soil characteristics interact, it is possible to track them. The action of chemical substances should not be disregarded, a product of the secondary metabolism of plants, since they interfere with plant's ability to compete and survive. Such substances can act out as protectors against herbivores and pathogens. They can be attractive or repellent agents in plant-plant competition and plant-microorganism symbiosis. They can also influence the interaction between plant matter and soil organisms. Among these substances, terpenoids are highlighted as the most structurally diverse chemical family in the class of secondary metabolites that are part of natural products. This knowledge allows a better understanding of nutrient decomposition and cycling processes, the influence of environmental factors on production and terpenoid variability in some plants with medicinal and economic importance.