INTRODUCTION Nitrogen is a key component of soil organic matter. Only when we have succeeded in characterizing the major part of organic N-containing compounds will we be able to understand fully the transformation reactions in the soil and to use soil-N more efficiently. However, only about 1/ 4——1/ 2 of the total N in humic acid (HA), one of the major constituents of soil organic matter, can be accounted for as amino acids and amino sugars, and most of the remainder has still to be accounted for. It has been found Only when we have succeeded in characterizing the major part of organic N-containing compounds will we be able to understand fully the transformation reactions in the soil and to use soil-N more efficiently. , only about 1 / 4--1 / 2 of the total N in humic acid (HA), one of the major constituents of soil organic matter, can be accounted for as amino acids and amino sugars, and most of the remainder has still to be accounted for. It has been found