Antun Jelinčić and researchers published their findings in the journal Plant and Soil, examining how a four percent topsoil incorporation of woody biochar alters soil chemistry and pasture health in Portugal. Acidic, coarse granitic soils often limit agricultural productivity because they trap essential nutrients, retain little water, and become extremely hard when dry. These conditions stunt root development and reduce overall crop yields.

To address these challenges, the research team conducted a ten-plot field experiment in a sown biodiverse pasture using a randomized block design. They applied woody biochar evenly across the topsoil to observe its multi-year impacts on soil physical properties, nutrient availability, and plant tissue composition.

The study found that biochar amendment improved soil nutrient status primarily by lowering the concentrations of toxic and antagonist metals rather than by flooding the soil with artificial nutrients. The liming effect of the biochar reduced harmful aluminum levels and improved the balance of calcium and magnesium uptake in plants. Furthermore, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and available potassium increased substantially in the treated plots.

Beyond chemical improvements, the biochar application changed how soil manages moisture. Topsoil moisture content increased by thirty-one percent, which successfully eliminated extreme drought stress during the critical flowering period of the pasture plants. In addition, soil hardness in the deeper layers decreased by twenty-nine to sixty-eight percent, allowing roots to penetrate deeper into the ground without encountering cement-like soil barriers.

Aboveground plant productivity jumped from six to nine tons per hectare following the biochar treatment. This growth included significant increases in grass and legume biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More, alongside a fifty-two percent boost in total protein yield. The authors conclude that biochar provides a practical, multi-functional solution for managing degraded agricultural soils in Mediterranean regions, reducing the need for traditional corrective measures such as heavy limestone applications and artificial irrigation while delivering superior forage yields.

Source: Jelinčić, A., Verheijen, F. G. A., Simões, L. B., Jongen, M., Gonzalez-Pelayo, O., Santos, V., Jeffery, S., Domingos, T., & Bastos, A. C. (2026). Biochar application to soil alleviates nutrient limitation, drought stress, and soil hardness, while improving aboveground productivity in a Mediterranean sown pasture. Plant and Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-026-09157-4