Abstract
Global climate change accelerates the challenges of agricultural drought spells, which are alarming for food security and can trigger food scarcity. Therefore, improving soil-water retention capability and crop drought resilience is becoming more important for sustainable agriculture. This study investigates the individual and combined effects of biochar and potassium on soil water retention, crop drought resilience, and related physio-biochemical mechanisms over a 50-day growth period in potted plants. Pine needle biochar (350 g/10 Kg of soil) was used during the soil preparation stage while potassium sulfate (100 mg/L) was applied as a foliar spray at the development (10 days) and vegetative stages (45 days) under three drought stress conditions: control (100% FC), mild (75% FC) and severe (40% FC). The results revealed that the combined application of biochar and potassium significantly increased morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress, improving shoot fresh weight by 11%, 6%, and 5%, root fresh weight by 19%, 19%, and 23%, shoot length by 17%, 16%, and 19%, and root length by 21%, 30%, and 29% under control, mild, and severe drought stress conditions, respectively. Similarly, relative water contents (RWC) increased by 12%, 16%, and 20%, water potential (Ψ) increased by 26%, 22%, and 24%, osmotic potential (Ψs) increased by 100%, 59%, and 30%, and turgor potential (Ψp) increased by 28%, 35%, and 51% under combined treatment compared to control, mild, and severe drought stress. Additionally, biochar application with potassium foliar spray also improved membrane stability and integrity, cell wall loosening, membrane lipid peroxidation, and protein denaturing by decreasing electrolytic leakage by 35%, 28%, and 43%, proline by 30%, 27%, and 22%, hydrogen peroxidase by 47%, 45%, and 41%, and malondialdehyde contents by 24%, 20%, and 28% through activation of enzymatic (CAT, POD, SOD) and non-enzymatic (TSS, AsA, GSH) antioxidants. Furthermore, nutrient uptake was enhanced, with N increasing by 47%, 19%, and 45%, P by 64%, 82%, and 52%, and K by 24%, 42%, and 35% in shoots compared to normal, mild, and severe drought stress. These improvements mitigated cell dehydration, reduced transpiration inefficiency and delayed senescence, and ultimately supporting plant growth under drought stress. In conclusion, integrating biochar with potassium application effectively improves soil-water retention, alleviates oxidative stress and enhances drought tolerance in maize plants. This strategy can play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress and improving food security in drought-prone regions.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Combined biochar and potassium increased maize shoot fresh weight by 11%, 6%, and 5% across control, mild and severe drought.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- shoot fresh weighte0
- Direction
- improvinge0
- Value
- 11%, 6%, and 5%e0
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“combined application of biochar and potassium significantly increased morphological, physiological, and biochemical attributes of maize plants under drought stress, improving shoot fresh weight by 11%, 6%, and 5%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize root fresh weight by 19%, 19%, and 23%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- root fresh weighte0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 19%, 19%, and 23%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“root fresh weight by 19%, 19%, and 23%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize shoot length by 17%, 16%, and 19%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- shoot lengthe0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 17%, 16%, and 19%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“shoot length by 17%, 16%, and 19%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize root length by 21%, 30%, and 29%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- root lengthe0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 21%, 30%, and 29%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“root length by 21%, 30%, and 29% under control, mild, and severe drought stress conditions”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize relative water content by 12%, 16%, and 20%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- relative water contents (RWC)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 12%, 16%, and 20%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“relative water contents (RWC) increased by 12%, 16%, and 20%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize water potential by 26%, 22%, and 24%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- water potential (Ψ)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 26%, 22%, and 24%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“water potential (Ψ) increased by 26%, 22%, and 24%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize osmotic potential by 100%, 59%, and 30%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- osmotic potential (Ψs)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 100%, 59%, and 30%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“osmotic potential (Ψs) increased by 100%, 59%, and 30%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased maize turgor potential by 28%, 35%, and 51%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- turgor potential (Ψp)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 28%, 35%, and 51%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“turgor potential (Ψp) increased by 28%, 35%, and 51% under combined treatment compared to control, mild, and severe drought stress”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and potassium decreased maize electrolytic leakage by 35%, 28%, and 43%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- electrolytic leakagee0
- Direction
- decreasinge0
- Value
- 35%, 28%, and 43%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“biochar application with potassium foliar spray also improved membrane stability and integrity, cell wall loosening, membrane lipid peroxidation, and protein denaturing by decreasing electrolytic leakage by 35%, 28%, and 43%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and potassium decreased maize proline by 30%, 27%, and 22%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- prolinee0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- 30%, 27%, and 22%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“proline by 30%, 27%, and 22%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and potassium decreased maize hydrogen peroxidase by 47%, 45%, and 41%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- hydrogen peroxidasee0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- 47%, 45%, and 41%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“hydrogen peroxidase by 47%, 45%, and 41%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar and potassium decreased maize malondialdehyde by 24%, 20%, and 28%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- malondialdehyde contentse0
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede0
- Value
- 24%, 20%, and 28%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“malondialdehyde contents by 24%, 20%, and 28%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize shoot nitrogen increased by 47%, 19%, and 45%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- Ne0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 47%, 19%, and 45%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“nutrient uptake was enhanced, with N increasing by 47%, 19%, and 45%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize shoot phosphorus increased by 64%, 82%, and 52%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- Pe0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 64%, 82%, and 52%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“P by 64%, 82%, and 52%”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize shoot potassium increased by 24%, 42%, and 35%.
- Treatment
- combined application of biochar and potassiume1
- Outcome
- Ke0
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 24%, 42%, and 35%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize crop”
e0“K by 24%, 42%, and 35% in shoots compared to normal, mild, and severe drought stress”
e1“combined application of biochar and potassium”
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See all 190 papers →8 of 12 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.