The influence of biochar on the optical phenotype and electrical signal characteristics of clustered chili pepper plants subjected to drought stress.

Abstract

The growth state of pepper plants under different soil conditions under drought stress was studied, using RGB decomposition, thermal infrared imaging, plant electrical signal and electrochemical fingerprinting. Since porous biochar can trap more water, plants in a soil-biochar environment grow better than those in the original soil. With the increase of biochar concentration, there are more pixels in the visible image of plants, and the surface temperature of plants is lower. Biochar can also provide a stable electrochemical environment. With the increase of biochar concentration in soil, the electrical signal amplitude of pepper plants decreased and the concentration of electrochemical substances increased.