Show-Me State Times

A recent study led by the University of Missouri has shown that biochar, a charcoal-like material made from plant waste, can improve soil health for cotton production in the Mississippi Delta. The research team focused on using bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane processing, as the source for biochar.

According to Gurbir Singh, assistant professor of plant sciences at the University of Missouri and state specialist, sandy soils commonly used for cotton farming have low organic matter and poor water retention. “Cotton is typically grown in sandy and sandy loam soil that struggles with low organic matter, less water-holding capacity and weaker aggregate stability,” Singh said. “These soils don’t hold water or nutrients well, and require more irrigation, which makes it harder to manage cotton production. Biochar offers a solution to these specific challenges.”

The researchers found that adding biochar to the soil helped retain nutrients and moisture, improving conditions for cotton growth. They also discovered an added benefit related to environmental protection. “Biochar can hold on to nitrates longer, which keeps them in the soil and out of the water supply,” Singh said.

The study was conducted at Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center in collaboration with the USDA Agriculture Research Service’s Crop Production System Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi. Co-authors include Gurpreet Kaur and Kelly Nelson from Mizzou; Ramandeep Kumar Sharma from Rutgers University; Amrinder Jakhar from University of Georgia; Jagmandeep Dhillon from Mississippi State University; and Saseendran Anapalli from USDA Agricultural Research Service. Several authors have joint affiliations with Mississippi State University.

Singh stated that future work will test biochar applications on working farms rather than small-scale plots. The team also plans to investigate whether similar benefits could be seen in other crops such as corn and soybean.

The findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Management under the title “Biochar impact on soil properties and soil solution nutrient concentrations under cotton production.”