Field research led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist Michelle Hubbard in collaboration with Lana Shaw at the South East Research Farm in Saskatchewan highlights a promising strategy for managing destructive root rot in field peas. Severe root rot caused by soilborne fungal pathogens like Aphanomyces and Fusarium has long posed an existential threat to pulse production across North America. Despite extensive testing of various soil amendments, including agricultural lime and gypsum, previous interventions failed to consistently mitigate root infection or maintain crop yields in heavily infested fields. However, combining soil health principles with carbon-rich amendments led researchers to investigate whether biochar could physically alter soil structures and create favorable habitats for beneficial soil microbes capable of suppressing pathogen activity.

Recent field trials conducted across multiple research locations, including Swift Current, Redvers, Prince Albert, and Lacombe, revealed that soil treated with biochar demonstrated marked improvements in plant vigor compared to untreated control plots. In fields where heavy disease pressure caused total yield failure in untreated pea crops planted on pea stubble, biochar-amended plots maintained strong plant growth, increased height, and generated respectable prospective harvests. Beyond visible 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 improvements, the biochar treatments enhanced root nodulation at most experimental sites, supporting essential nitrogen fixationNitrogen is a crucial nutrient for plant growth, but plants can’t directly absorb it from the air. Nitrogen fixation is a process where certain bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. Biochar can provide a home for these nitrogen-fixing bacteria, enhancing More processes even in disease-conducive, wet growing conditions.

The mechanisms underlying biochar’s success likely involve a combination of physical and biological factors. By increasing soil porosityPorosity of biochar is a key factor in its effectiveness as a soil amendment and its ability to retain water and nutrients. Biochar’s porosity is influenced by feedstock type and pyrolysis temperature, and it plays a crucial role in microbial activity and overall soil health. Biochar More and altering bulk density, biochar applications reduce soil compaction, which is a key environmental driver of root rot proliferation. The expanded soil pore network provides microhabitats that foster beneficial microbial communities, thereby enhancing biological suppression of root pathogens. Furthermore, when combined with mineral amendments like gypsum, biochar helps balance soil chemical properties, such as lowering excess magnesium levels in neutral pHpH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. A pH of 7 is neutral, while lower pH values indicate acidity and higher values indicate alkalinity. Biochars are normally alkaline and can influence soil pH, often increasing it, which can be beneficial More soils.

While these preliminary field outcomes are among the most positive achieved in pulse root rot management research, practical implementation requires addressing several logistical considerations. The trials utilized a specific commercial biochar formulation at a rate of ten tonnes per hectare, necessitating soil incorporation. Researchers are now expanding greenhouse and field testing to determine whether lower application rates, alternate delivery methods such as banded prills, or different feedstockFeedstock refers to the raw organic material used to produce biochar. This can include a wide range of materials, such as wood chips, agricultural residues, and animal manure. More sources can yield comparable disease suppression without requiring extensive tillage for continuous no-till farming systems.

Source: Briere, K. (2026). Research shows biochar can help with root rot. The Western Producer. https://www.producer.com/crops/research-shows-biochar-can-help-with-root-rot/