The macropores of biochar provide a suitable habitat for microbial growth, and its high carbon content serves as an energy source for beneficial microbes. This study evaluated the potential of biochar as a carrier for Trichoderma in managing Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in chickpeas. Biochar application reduced plant disease severity by 36.5% and increased plant root mass by 23.3%. For this, three types of biochar, wheat straw, organic kitchen waste, and hardwood were tested with Trichoderma, analyzing such as organic C, total N, P, K, Mg, and Ca; pH, and ash content. Trichoderma populations were monitored with biochar carrier of different mesh sizes (250, 150, 75, and 45 µm) for up to 6 weeks after inoculation. Hardwood biochar at 150 µm supported the highest Trichoderma population, reaching 33.5 × 10⁵ CFU·g⁻¹ after 6 weeks. Hardwood biochar also achieved the maximum disease suppression compared to other biochar types. This research highlights the dual role of biochar in enhancing plant growth and controlling disease, contributing to the standardization of biochar use in agricultural practices.

Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced by biomass pyrolysis, is valued for soil amendment, carbon sequestration and environmental remediation. Optimum biochar production depends on understanding key factors, including feedstock characteristics, pyrolysis conditions and modification methods. This review examines various pyrolysis techniques, ranging from well-established to new methods, assessing their mechanisms, strengths and limitations for large-scale production. It emphasizes the importance of feedstock selection, pyrolysis conditions and modification methods in affecting biochar yield and properties. By synthesizing current research findings, this review aims to provide insights into optimizing biochar production for sustainable utilization of lignocellulosic biomass resources.

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has been the major cause of water quality degradation. However, there are still shortcomings in the current monitoring methods for NPS pollution, such as small monitoring range, error of monitoring data, time-consuming and laborious monitoring process. Although the established method, field experiment plots, was used effectively in the first and second national pollution source census in China. However, when the results obtained by monitoring experimental plots are extrapolated to a field or larger scale, there are considerable uncertainties because of the characteristics of large spatial and temporal variation of farmland. To optimize the farmland surface runoff monitoring methods, an online monitoring system for continuous cropping based on a serial pipeline was developed, which takes diversion trench, online flowmeter and dynamic acquisition device as the main body. Compared with the current farmland monitoring methods, this system can realize more precise automatic monitoring of water quantity and quality, and lower costs. This innovative method will provide greater confidence in the actual monitoring of NPS pollution from farmland and wider practical application. This new method could prove particularly valuable for the next national pollution source census in China.

Analyzing the changes in agricultural carbon emissions (ACE) and their influencing factors can provide a sound basis for accurately estimating the carbon balance of agroecosystems. Such analyses can serve as a reference for developing policies to mitigate global climate change and promote sustainable agricultural development. Using the carbon emission calculation framework of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this study examined the spatiotemporal characteristics of ACE, including total amount, intensity, structure and their influencing factors, in Fujian Province from 2002 to 2022. The logarithmic mean scale index model and Tapio decoupling model were used, with the GM (1,1) model to forecast carbon emissions from 2023 to 2040. The results indicate that both the total emissions and intensity of ACE had fluctuating downward trends and agricultural material inputs were the largest contributors to ACE. Additionally, total ACE was found to have a spatial pattern higher in the west and lower in the east and agricultural production efficiency was the primary factor in reducing ACE. ACE was clearly decoupled from economic development and is projected to continually decline after 2023.

Natural plant roots enrich a diverse array of soil microbes, collectively known as the root microbiota. This microbiota interacts synergistically with plants, modulating various physiological processes, including nutrient utilization, which influences plant growth and health. Environmental nutrient conditions and plant nutrient-related genes have been reported to regulate the composition of the root microbiota. Innovative analytical methods, such as microbiome genome- and microbiome-wide association studies, have advanced understanding of the relationships between plants and root microbiota. These methods systematically reveal the interactions between root microbiota and plant nutrient utilization, providing a theoretical foundation for applying root microbiota in agriculture.

Plant roots are crucial for nitrogen uptake. To efficiently acquire N, root system architecture (RSA), which includes the length and quantity of primary roots, lateral roots and root hairs, is dynamically regulated by the surrounding N status. For crops, an ideotype RSA characterized by enhanced plasticity to meet various N demands under fluctuating N conditions is fundamental for high N utilization and subsequent yield. Therefore, exploring the genetic basis of N-dependent RSA, especially in crops, is of great significance. This review summarizes how plants sense both local and systemic N signals and transduce them to downstream pathways. Additionally, it presents the current understanding of genetic basis of N-dependent root plasticity in Arabidopsis and major crops. Also, to fully understand the mechanisms underlying N-dependent root morphogenesis and effectively identify loci associated with an ideotype RSA in crops, more attention should be paid to non-destructive, in situ phenotyping of root traits, cell-type-specific exploration of gene functions, and crosstalk between root architecture, environment and management in the future.

Interplant communication is of vital importance for plant performance in natural environments. Mycorrhizal fungi have emerged as key contributors to the below ground communication between plants. These mutualistic fungi form connections between the roots of plants via their hyphae, known as common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs). These hyphal networks are thought to be important ways for the exchange of signals between plants. This paper reviews the evidence for CMN-based transfer of semiochemicals between plants upon exposure to pathogen infection, herbivory or mechanical damage. Potential transport routes are explored, asking whether the fungi can actively contribute to the distribution of such signals within the network and discussing potential drivers for signal exchange. It is concluded that identification of the signals that are exchanged remains an important challenge for the future.

Beneficial root-microbiome interactions offer enormous potential to improve crop performance and stress tolerance. Domestication and improvement reduced the genetic diversity of crops and reshaped their phenotypic traits and their associated microbiome structure and function. However, understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms how domestication and improvement modulated root function, microbiome assembly and even co-selective patterns remains largely elusive. This review summarizes the current status of how crop domestication and improvement (heterosis) affected root characteristics and their associated microbiome structure and function. Also, it assesses potential mechanisms how crop domestication and improvement reshaped root-microbiome association through gene regulation, root structure and function and root exudate features. A hypothetical strategy is proposed that entangles crop genetics and abiotic interactions with beneficial microbiomes to mitigate the effects of global climate change on crop performance. A comprehensive understanding of the role of crop domestication and improvement in root-associated microbiome interaction will advance future breeding efforts and agricultural management.

The study emphasizes the significance of biochar-based nanocomposites (BNCs) in tackling waste management challenges and developing valuable materials for environmental remediation and energy generation. BNCs have enhanced adsorption and catalytic properties by incorporating nanoparticles into a charcoal matrix, offering a dual benefit for waste treatment and environmental preservation. Using waste biomass for BNC production repurposes resources and reduces the ecological impact of waste disposal. This study also addresses the existing research gaps and uncertainties hindering the widespread use of biochar and BNCs. After almost a decade of extensive research, it is crucial to address and fill the gaps in knowledge, such as long-term impacts, carbon sequestration rates, potential deforestation and economic viability. Thoroughly analyzing the entire system and establishing adaptable governance is need to realize the full benefits of BNCs. This article discusses the urgent need for sustainable technology and solutions to solve global concerns, including waste management, water quality, soil health, climate change and renewable energy. Its aim is to improve existing research by providing a comprehensive overview of the potential of biochar and BNCs in achieving sustainability objectives. It also identifies research gaps and challenges that must be addressed, directing future research directions. It extensively reviews biochar-based nanocomposites derived from waste biomass as a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment and renewable bioenergy. The constraints and future research directions have been highlighted, offering essential perspectives on the potential of biochar and BNCs in addressing global sustainability issues.

The achievement of global food security faces exceptional challenges due to the rapid population growth, land degradation and climate change. Current farming practices, including mineral fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, alone are becoming insufficient to ensure long-term food security and ecosystem sustainability. The lack of robustness and reliability of conventional approaches warrants efforts to develop novel alternative strategies. Bio-based management strategies offer promising alternatives for improving soil health and food productivity. For example, microbial inoculants can enhance nutrient availability, crop production and stress resistance while also remediating contaminated soils. Nanobiotechnology is a promising strategy that has great potential for mitigating biotic and abiotic stresses on plant toward sustainable agriculture. Biochar (including modified biochar) serves as an effective microbial carrier, improving nutrient availability and plant growth. Also, biochar amendments have been demonstrated to have great potential facilitating soil organic carbon sequestration and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and therefore contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. This review examines the integration of microbial inoculants, nano-fertilizers and biochar, which demonstrates as a promising strategy to enhance soil health, crop productivity and environmental sustainability. However, overcoming challenges related to their mass production, application and potential risks remains crucial. Future research should focus on optimizing these bio-amendment strategies, evaluating their economic viability and developing robust regulatory frameworks to ensure safe and effective agricultural implementation.

This study presents a new holistic framework for modeling farmer decision-making by integrating both top-down and bottom-up approaches. It uses three interlinked subsystems to evaluate how changes in water policies impact farmer decisions and profits: the first model simulates water balance, the second simulates farmer behavior, and the third assesses farmer profits. Two scenarios are explored: Scenario I introduces penalties for groundwater overexploitation, and Scenario II implements awareness raising and training to encourage using modern irrigation systems. The results show that penalties lead to reductions in water requests exceeding limits by 8%, 45%, and 68% for fines of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 IRR·m⁻³, with corresponding net profit decreases of 1.3%, 8.0%, and 11.6%. The ranges of farmer cooperation for groundwater management vary from 20% to 50% over the 10-year simulation period. In Scenario II, increasing the radius of awareness from 0.5 to 2 km substantially increases the adoption of modern irrigation from 1457 to 2057 farmers. These findings highlight how different policy measures impact various types of farmer based on their specific characteristics and preferences.