Abstract
ABSTRACT The contamination of tropical soils by the highly toxic metalloid, arsenic (As), is a pervasive issue, resulting in declining crop performance due to phytotoxicity. Biochars are gaining popularity as sorbents for contaminants, yet their capacity to ameliorate As phytotoxicity in diverse tropical soil types remains underexplored. This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols: agricultural soil and iron‐rich soil. While the experimental design focused on biochar × arsenic interactions without a standalone biochar control, results indicated that biochar effectiveness is highly soil‐mineralogy dependent. In the Fe‐rich soil, biochar significantly mitigated As‐induced stress, as evidenced by a 44% increase in potato biomass. Furthermore, biochar application in arsenic‐contaminated iron soils significantly improved the maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II ( F v / F m ) by 39% over arsenic‐only treatments ( p < 0.001), restoring absolute F v / F m values from a severely stressed state (~0.55) to a more physiologically stable range (~0.76). In contrast, biochar application in the agricultural soil was less effective and, in some cases, exacerbated growth inhibition. These findings suggest that while biochar is a promising tool for mitigating As‐induced phytotoxicity in Fe‐rich tropical environments, its application must be soil‐specific. Future research should quantify tissue As concentrations to confirm dietary risk reduction.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
In Fe-rich soil, biochar significantly mitigated arsenic-induced stress and increased potato biomass by 44%.
- Taxon
- potato
Solanum tuberosume1 - Treatment
- biochare1
- Outcome
- potato biomasse1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- 44%e1
- Setting
- Fe‐rich soile1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“In the Fe‐rich soil, biochar significantly mitigated As‐induced stress, as evidenced by a 44% increase in potato biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar in arsenic-contaminated iron soils improved the maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II by 39% over arsenic-only treatments.
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosum
Oryza sativae0 - Treatment
- biochar applicatione2
- Outcome
- maximum quantum yield of Photosystem IIe2
- Direction
- improvede2
- Value
- 39%e2
- Qualifier
- p < 0.001e2
- Comparator
- arsenic‐only treatmentse2
- Setting
- arsenic‐contaminated iron soilse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e2“biochar application in arsenic‐contaminated iron soils significantly improved the maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II ( F v / F m ) by 39% over arsenic‐only treatments ( p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar restored absolute Fv/Fm values from a severely stressed state (about 0.55) to a more physiologically stable range (about 0.76).
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosumOryza sativae0
- Treatment
- biochar applicatione2
- Outcome
- absolute F v / F m valuese3
- Direction
- restoringe3
- Value
- ~0.76e3
- Qualifier
- ~0.55e3
- Comparator
- severely stressed statee3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e2“biochar application in arsenic‐contaminated iron soils significantly improved the maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II ( F v / F m ) by 39% over arsenic‐only treatments ( p < 0.001)”
e3“restoring absolute F v / F m values from a severely stressed state (~0.55) to a more physiologically stable range (~0.76)”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar application in agricultural soil was less effective than in the iron-rich soil.
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosumOryza sativae0
- Treatment
- biochar applicatione4
- Outcome
- biochar effectivenesse6
- Direction
- less effectivee4
- Setting
- agricultural soile4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e4“biochar application in the agricultural soil was less effective and, in some cases, exacerbated growth inhibition”
e6“biochar effectiveness is highly soil‐mineralogy dependent”
Claim · model-written summary
In some cases, biochar application in agricultural soil exacerbated growth inhibition.
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosumOryza sativae0
- Treatment
- biochar applicatione4
- Outcome
- growth inhibitione4
- Direction
- exacerbatede4
- Qualifier
- in some casese4
- Setting
- agricultural soile4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e4“biochar application in the agricultural soil was less effective and, in some cases, exacerbated growth inhibition”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend that biochar application must be soil-specific for arsenic-affected crops.
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosumOryza sativae0
- Outcome
- application must be soil‐specifice5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e5“its application must be soil‐specific”
Claim · model-written summary
Biochar effectiveness against arsenic phytotoxicity is highly dependent on soil mineralogy.
- Taxon
- rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum )Solanum tuberosumOryza sativae0
- Outcome
- biochar effectivenesse6
- Qualifier
- highly soil‐mineralogy dependente6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study investigated the interactive effects of biochar and As on the growth and physiology of rice ( Oryza sativa ) and potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) across two distinct tropical Oxisols”
e6“biochar effectiveness is highly soil‐mineralogy dependent”
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