Wang, et al (2024) Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Affect Soil Nitrogen Fertilizer Utilization, Denitrification Functional Genes, and N₂O Emissions During BiocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More Amendment. Agronomy. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14112627

Recent research explores the combined impact of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungiThese are friendly fungi that form a partnership with plant roots. They act like an extension of the root system, helping plants access water and nutrients more effectively. Biochar can create a cozy habitat for these helpful fungi, boosting their growth and improving plant health.   More (AMF) on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, nitrogen use, and plant growth in maize cropping systems. N2O is a potent greenhouse gas, primarily emitted during soil nitrification and denitrification in agriculture. This study tested biochar application and AMF treatments under controlled conditions.

Biochar, a carbon-rich soil amendmentA soil amendment is any material added to the soil to enhance its physical or chemical properties, improving its suitability for plant growth. Biochar is considered a soil amendment as it can improve soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity.   More, enhanced maize growth by improving soil nutrient retention and increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Biochar reduced soil ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) levels, key drivers of denitrification. In combination with AMF, biochar also promoted soil microbial activity that improved nitrogen absorption and reduced N2O emissions.

AMF, symbiotic fungi that associate with plant roots, contributed to greater maize 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 by facilitating nutrient uptake. AMF treatments also shifted soil microbial communities, increasing the abundance of N2O-reducing genes (nosZ) and reducing N2O-producing genes (nirK and nirS). This altered the balance of nitrogen cycling microbes, further mitigating N2O emissions.

The most effective treatment combined biochar, AMF, and plant roots, reducing cumulative N2O emissions by 38% while boosting plant nitrogen uptake. This suggests that integrating biochar with AMF can enhance sustainable agriculture by optimizing nitrogen use and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Future studies should confirm these findings under field conditions, examining long-term effects across different climates and soil types. This approach holds promise for mitigating agriculture’s climate impact while improving crop productivity.