article · Frontiers in Microbiology
Biochar is widely viewed as a promising soil amendment, but its specific effects on the soil microbiome in alkaline farmlands have remained unclear. Researchers analysed topsoil from a three-year field experiment using a wheat and maize rotation system to evaluate how biochar influences bacteria, fungi, protists, and phosphorus-cycling microbes containing the phoD gene. The application of biochar altered soil nutrient balances, significantly reducing total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen while increasing the nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio. Crucially, the treatment designated as B1.5 boosted wheat yield by 35% compared to untreated soil. Analytical tests revealed that rare microbial communities, specifically rare fungi, protists, and phoD-harbouring microbes, contributed significantly to wheat growth. These findings demonstrate that biochar modifies the soil environment and highlights the importance of rare microbial taxa in supporting crop performance in alkaline agricultural soils.
Alkaline farmlands are common across the globe and often present distinct nutrient management challenges. Demonstrating that biochar can improve crop yields by 35% while reshaping rare soil microbial communities provides practical evidence for how soil amendments can improve agricultural sustainability. Understanding these biological dynamics helps agronomists design interventions that boost food production without depleting the long-term health of farming ecosystems.
The findings are relevant to agricultural input suppliers, biochar producers, and farmers managing alkaline soils. Because the data originates from an applied, multi-year field trial with measured yield improvements in wheat, it represents applied and tested research. However, the abstract does not indicate an immediate commercial product or ready-to-use formulation, suggesting that further work on application protocols and economic viability is required before direct commercial deployment.
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Introduction Biochar is recognized as a promising soil amendment for maintaining soil fertility and improving soil conditions. Alkaline farmland is widely distributed globally. Soil microbial taxa, including rare, intermediate, and abundant bacteria, fungi, protists, and phoD-harboring microbes, play essential roles in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. However, the impacts of biochar on the community composition of these taxa in alkaline farmland are not well understood. Gaining insights into how the soil microbiome responds to biochar application and its association with crop biomass is crucial for sustainable agriculture. In particular, the responses of rare microbial communities, such as rare protists and phoD-harboring microbial taxa, to biochar and their relationship with crop biomass remain largely unexplored. Methods In this study, topsoil (0–10 cm) samples were collected from a three-year field experiment in a wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Jimai 22)-maize (Zea mays cv. Jiyuan 169) rotational cropping system. The experiment included treatments with and without biochar application (CK). Gene abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA and phoD, a gene encoding an alkaline phosphatase involved in phosphorus cycling, was quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The compositions and diversities of bacterial, fungal, protistan, and phoD-harboring microbial communities were analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Results Biochar application significantly reduced soil total phosphorus (TP) and ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) contents. It increased soil N:P ratios by 19.63%, 2.80%, 23.36%, and 27.10% in B0.5, B1.0, B1.5, and B2.0 treatments, respectively. Soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) positively correlated with bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance, while total nitrogen (TN) linked to the ratio of phoD to bacterial 16S rRNA gene abundance and rare protistan taxa. In terms of crop yield, the B1.5 treatment (3.42 t ha−1) increased wheat yield by 35% compared to the CK treatment. Mantel test and random forest analyses indicated that rare phoD-harboring, protistan, and fungal communities significantly contributed to wheat growth. Discussion This study offers valuable insights into the effects of biochar on soil microbiomes, especially the responses of abundant, intermediate, and rare taxa. The changes in soil nutrient contents and the correlations between soil properties and microbial communities suggest that biochar can modify the soil environment and microbial structure. The significant contribution of rare microbial communities to wheat growth emphasizes their importance in maintaining agricultural ecosystem health and ensuring sustainable ecosystem services. These findings can guide the rational application of biochar in alkaline farmland to promote sustainable agriculture.
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DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1563712
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