Texas A&M Study Highlights Biochar Potential as Soil Amendment

A study by the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, published in Frontiers in Analytical Science, showed that adding biochar improved the soil microbiome and plant-root interactions with beneficial microorganisms found there. The research team used biochar derived from wheat crop residue and characterized its effects on tomato growth, soil microbial diversity, and rhizosphere-level gene expression responses in an organic system. Researchers concluded that with biochar amendment, the soil microbiome displayed heightened functional activity in several beneficial microbes while reducing the activity of pathogenic fungi. The scientists say these early results provide a foundation for measuring biochar’s biological impacts in various crop and soil types under different management regimens.
Related ATTRA topic area: Biochar