Yuan Zhang, Rifat-Un- Nisa, Aansa Rukya Saleem, Waqar-Un- Nisa, Abubakr M Idris, Guo Yu, Muhammad Tayyab Sohail, Habib Ullah
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Drought stress severely threatens global agriculture by reducing crop productivity and compromising food security. Biochar derived from agricultural waste has emerged as a promising soil amendment to enhance plant resilience and mitigate drought impacts.
Methods: This study evaluated the effects of walnut shell biochar (WS biochar) at 3% and 5% (w/w) application rates on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) growth under severe (45% field capacity) and moderate (75% field capacity) drought conditions. The biochar was characterized for physicochemical properties, and its impact on root architecture, biomass accumulation, and stress-related hormonal responses was assessed through greenhouse pot trials.
Results: WS biochar exhibited high conversion efficiency (58.8%), with favorable properties such as high fixed carbon content (98%) and porous macroporous structure enhancing soil water retention. The 5% biochar treatment increased plant height by 24%, improved leaf production, and mitigated a 92% biomass reduction under severe drought conditions. Root systems showed 30% longer primary roots and 25% higher lateral root density. Biochar treatments reduced oxidative stress markers, lowering proline accumulation by 18% and abscisic acid (ABA) levels by 22% under severe drought.
Discussion: Walnut shell biochar effectively enhances tomato drought resilience by improving root development, biomass, and physiological stress responses. These improvements likely stem from enhanced soil water retention and modified hormonal signaling. The findings support WS biochar's potential as a sustainable, climate-smart amendment to improve crop performance in water-limited environments. Further field studies are recommended to confirm long-term benefits on soil health and yield.
期刊介绍：
In an ever changing world, plant science is of the utmost importance for securing the future well-being of humankind. Plants provide oxygen, food, feed, fibers, and building materials. In addition, they are a diverse source of industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals. Plants are centrally important to the health of ecosystems, and their understanding is critical for learning how to manage and maintain a sustainable biosphere. Plant science is extremely interdisciplinary, reaching from agricultural science to paleobotany, and molecular physiology to ecology. It uses the latest developments in computer science, optics, molecular biology and genomics to address challenges in model systems, agricultural crops, and ecosystems. Plant science research inquires into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution and uses of both higher and lower plants and their interactions with other organisms throughout the biosphere. Frontiers in Plant Science welcomes outstanding contributions in any field of plant science from basic to applied research, from organismal to molecular studies, from single plant analysis to studies of populations and whole ecosystems, and from molecular to biophysical to computational approaches.
Frontiers in Plant Science publishes articles on the most outstanding discoveries across a wide research spectrum of Plant Science. The mission of Frontiers in Plant Science is to bring all relevant Plant Science areas together on a single platform.
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