Impact Of Biochar Application Research Articles

Addition of Biochar and Fertiliser Drives Changes in Soil Organic Matter and Humic Substance Content in Haplic Luvisol

Humic substances (HSs) constitute a primary component of soil organic matter (SOM) and play a crucial role in soil formation and fertility. However, comprehensive information regarding quantitative and qualitative changes in HS following biochar’s application to soil still needs to be improved. This study reports on the impact of biochar application at rates of 0, 10, and 20 t ha⁻1 (B0, B10, B20), both with and without nitrogen fertilisation at varying levels (N0, N1, N2), on SOM and HS contents throughout the cropping seasons between 2014 and 2019. The findings reveal changes in SOM and HS contents due to biochar addition and fertilisation. Notably, the most substantial increase in soil organic carbon content was observed in the B20N1 and B10N1 treatments, in stark contrast with the reference B0N0 treatment. A decrease in humification of SOM was noted across all treatments involving biochar, whether alone or combined with different N fertilisation levels. An interesting positive change in HS contents was observed in B10N2, where an increase in humic acids and a decrease in fulvic acids enhanced HS stability and improved HS quality. These findings shed light on the intricate dynamics of SOM and HSs in response to biochar application and nitrogen fertilisation over multiple vegetation seasons of crops on loamy Haplic Luvisols in Central Europe.

Biochar produced at high temperature mitigates N2O emission and promotes nitrogen retention in subtropical forest soils

AbstractBiochar is produced by burning biomass under oxygen‐limited conditions, and it has been widely used as a soil amendment to improve soil functions such as nutrient retention. However, whether the impact of biochar application on soil nitrogen (N) transformation and N2O emission varies with the pyrolysis temperature remains unclear, especially in different forest types in subtropical regions. In this study, a 60‐day laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of biochar with different pyrolysis temperatures (300°C [BC300], 500°C [BC500], and 800°C [BC800]) on net N transformation rates and N2O emission in soils collected from Castanopsis kawakamii dominated natural forest (NF) and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolate, CF) plantation in subtropical China. The results showed that the application of biochar significantly increased soil ammonium (NH4+) content (p < 0.001) but reduced nitrate (NO3−) content (p < 0.001) compared with the control. The soil NH4+ content of the BC800 treatment was significantly higher than that of other treatments (p < 0.001). Biochar application significantly reduced soil net N mineralization (NRmin) and nitrification (NRnit) rate (p < 0.001), but increased net ammonification (NRamm) rate (p < 0.001). The application of biochar led to a remarkable decrease in cumulative N2O emission compared to the control (p < 0.001). In particular, soils treated with high‐temperature biochar emitted significantly lower N2O compared to other treatments (p < 0.001). The partial least squares path model demonstrated that biochar influenced N2O emission through a direct effect in NF soil and an indirect effect in CF soil. This study highlights the distinct role of biochar, particularly that produced under high pyrolysis temperatures as a soil amendment to mitigate N2O emission and promote N retention in both subtropical natural and planted forests.

Impact of Biochar Application on Soil Physical Health

Soil health is the capability of the soil to sustain plant, animal or living beings and it functions as a vital living ecosystem. Soil health indicators include physical, chemical, and biological indicators. Soil physical health is the ability of soil to meet requirements of plants for water, aeration and strength over time and indicators include soil bulk density, porosity, water retention, aggregate stability, etc. that are directly related with the crop productivity and water use efficiency.

Impact of Biochar Application at Water Shortage on Biochemical and Physiological Processes in Medicago ciliaris.

The application of biochar is mostly used to improve soil fertility, water retention capacity and nutrient uptake. The present study was conducted in order to study the impact of biochar at water deficiency conditions on the physiological and biochemical processes of Medicago ciliaris seedlings. Seedlings were cultivated under greenhouse conditions in pots filled with a mixture of soil and sand mixed in the presence or absence of 2% biochar. Plants of uniform size were subjected after a pretreatment phase (72 days) either to low (36% water holding capacity, water potential low) or high soil water potential (60% water holding capacity, water potential high). Pots were weighed every day to control and maintain a stable water holding capacity. In Medicago ciliaris, drought led to a significant reduction in plant growth and an increase in the root/shoot ratio. The growth response was accompanied by a decreased stomatal conductance and a reduction of the net CO2 assimilation rate and water use efficiency. The associated higher risk of ROS production was indicated by a high level of lipid peroxidation, high antioxidant activities and high proline accumulation. Soil amendment with biochar enhanced the growth significantly and supported the photosynthetic apparatus of Medicago ciliaris species by boosting chlorophyll content and Anet both under well and insufficient watered plants and water use efficiency in case of water shortage. This increase of water use efficiency was correlated with the biochar-mediated decrease of the MDA and proline contents in the leaves buffering the impact of drought on photosynthetic apparatus by increasing the activity of enzymatic antioxidants SOD, APX, GPOX and GR and non-enzymatic antioxidants, such as AsA and DHAsA, giving the overall picture of a moderate stress response. These results confirmed the hypothesis that biochar application significantly reduces both the degree of stress and the negative impact of oxidative stress on Medicago ciliaris plants. These results implied that this species could be suitable as a cash pasture plant in the development of agriculture on dry wasteland in a future world of water shortages.

Impact of Biochar Application on Ammonia Volatilization from Paddy Fields under Controlled Irrigation

Ammonia volatilization is an important nitrogen loss pathway in the paddy field ecosystem which leads to low nitrogen-utilization efficiency and severe atmospheric pollution. To reveal the influence and the mechanism of biochar application on ammonia volatilization from paddy fields under controlled irrigation, field experiments were conducted in the Taihu Lake Basin in China. The experiment consisted of three levels of biochar application (0, 20, and 40 t·ha−1) and two types of irrigation management (controlled irrigation and flood irrigation). Increasing ammonia volatilization occurred after fertilization. Biochar application reduced the cumulative ammonia volatilization from controlled-irrigation paddy fields, compared with non-biochar treatment. The cumulative ammonia volatilization in controlled-irrigation paddy fields with 40 t·ha−1 biochar application was reduced by 12.27%. The decrease in ammonia volatilization was related to the change in soil physical and soil physical–chemical properties and soil microbial activities. The high biochar application (40 t·ha−1) increased the NH4+-N content in soil (p < 0.01) and soil solution (p <0.05), increased by 64.98% and 19.72%, respectively. The application also increased the soil urease activity (p < 0.01), and high biochar application (40 t·ha−1) increased soil urease activity by 33.70%. Ammonia volatilization from paddy fields was significantly correlated with the nitrogen concentration (p < 0.01) in the soil solution and soil urease activity (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the abundance of ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) with biochar application under controlled irrigation showed an increasing trend with rice growth. The long-term application of biochar may have a relatively strong potential to inhibit ammonia volatilization. In general, the combined application of controlled irrigation and biochar provides an eco-friendly strategy for reducing farmland N loss and improving paddy field productivity.

Impact of Biochar Application on Germination Behavior and Early Growth of Maize Seedlings: Insights from a Growth Room Experiment

Reduced germination and early crop maturity due to soil compaction, nutrients stress, and low moisture are major constraints to achieve optimum crop yield, ultimately resulting in significant economic damages and food shortages. Biochar, having the potential to improve physical and chemical properties of soil, can also improve nutrients and moisture access to plants. In the present study, a growth room experiment was conducted to assess biochar influence on maize seed germination, early growth of seedlings, and its physiological attributes. Corn cob biochar (CCB) was mixed with soil at different rates (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3% w/w) before seed sowing. Results obtained showed that increasing CCB application rate have neutral to positive effects on seed germination and seedling growth of maize. Biochar addition at the rate of 1.5% (w/w) significantly increased shoot dry biomass (40%), root dry biomass (32%), total chlorophyll content (a and b) (55%), germination percentage (13%), seedling vigor (85%), and relative water content (RWC) (68%), in comparison to un-amended control treatment. In addition to this, it also improved germination rate (GR) by 3% as compared to control treatment, while causing a reduction in mean emergence time (MET). Moreover, application of biochar (3%) also resulted in enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activity, particularly superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) by 13% and 17%, respectively. Conclusively, biochar application is an attractive approach to improve the initial phase of plant growth and provide better crop stand and essential sustainable high yields.

Radon emission fluctuation as a result of biochar application into the soil

The presented research was focused on the analysis of the impact of biochar application into the soil on the radon exhalation process as a new issue of radiation protection in agriculture. Field measurements of the radon exhalation rate utilizing two methods—active and passive as well as laboratory measurements of the radon emanation coefficient were performed. In laboratory a soil samples with sunflower husk biochar were analysed using the accumulation chamber technique. At the final step the assessment of the effective dose for humans coming from radon exhalation from soil depending on biochar dose applied were evaluated. The doses of biochar applied in the analysed experimental fields were 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 Mg ha−1. The results show that biochar application into the soil contribute to a decrease in the emanation coefficient from a value around 7% to less than 2% with a simultaneous decrease in the radon exhalation rate from 4.4 to 14.8 mBq m−2 s−1 when the biochar dose increase from 0 to 100 Mg ha−1.

Impact of biochar application on gas emissions from liquid pig manure storage

Biochars have been used to reduce gas emissions from manure composting practices and to recover nutrients from wastewater because of their effective sorption capacity. However, relatively less is known about the impacts of different alkaline biochars on the gas emissions from liquid manure. Materials including two commercial biochars prepared from walnut shell (WA) and coconut shell (CC), respectively, and coal (CO) were applied (with manure/biochar ratio of 20:1 in weight) to examine their influence on NH3, CH4, and N2O emissions from liquid pig manure during a 68-d period in comparison with a control (CK, without biochars), and to investigate the evolution of the manure N mass balances and the changes in biochar properties during liquid manure storage to understand the characteristics of biochar. Compared with the CK, the application of WA, CC, and CO biochars increased the NH3 emissions by 4.00, 3.87, and 1.23 times, respectively, the absorbed N content of the biochars was markedly lower than the enhanced gaseous losses through NH3 emissions. Similarly, the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the manure with WA, CC, and CO biochar application were 6.28, 5.55, and 0.83 times greater than those observed with the CK, respectively, and were mainly attributed to the enhanced CH4 emissions. The significant contribution (5%–12%) of indirect GHG emissions from the enhanced NH3-N losses was also identified. The hypothesis for the enhanced gas emissions from liquid manure with biochar addition has been discussed in the present study; however, further investigation in the future is warranted.

Biochar as a tool to reduce environmental impacts of nitrogen loss in water-saving irrigation paddy field

Abstract Nitrogen (N) loss caused by excessive and incorrect application of N fertilizer in traditional rice-growing agriculture contributed to rural non-point source pollution and greenhouse gas emission, reduced crop N utilization efficiency. The objective of this study is to explore the response of N loss (leaching, NH3 volatilization and N2O emission) to different biochar applications (0,20,40 t/hm2) and irrigation patterns (controlled irrigation, flooding irrigation) in paddy fields of the Taihu Lake region (TLR) with the combination of field experiments and laboratory analysis. Based on the long-term observation of rice growth period, the ammonium N (NH4+–N), nitrate N (NO3−–N) and total N (TN) leaching of paddy fields applied with water-saving irrigation (WSI) and biochar was measured in the plots of lysimeter. The impact of biochar application on NH3 volatilization, N2O emission in different water-carbon modes were clarified and the effect of water-carbon management modes on rice yield and yield components was analyzed. The results showed that the application of biochar reduced the NO3−–N and TN leaching by 29.98%–38.63% and 12.77%–13.36%, increased rice seed setting rate and actual yield by 12.15%–15.28% and 1.67%–5.54%. Biochar addition inhibited NH3 volatilization and N2O emission. Under low-volume biochar (20 t/hm2), the main form of N leaching in rice fields was NO3−–N, the NO3−–N leaching accounted for 33.67% – 50.24% of the TN leaching; under high-volume biochar (40 t/hm2), N leaching in rice field was dominated by NH4+–N, the NH4+–N leaching accounted for 16.50% – 47.47% of the TN leaching. Controlled irrigation can not only reduce the water leakage in paddy fields but also reduce the N concentration in water leakage compared with flooding irrigation so that the total leaching of NH4+–N, NO3−–N and TN in rice fields can be reduced by 23.44%, 47.89% and 50.69%. This study suggests that to make biochar beneficial for reducing environmental impacts of soil N effluxes and realizing cleaner production in rice cultivation, WSI technique and adapted use of biochar are of great importance.

Nutrient retention, availability and greenhouse gas emissions from biochar-fertilized Chernozems

Amending soil with pyrogenic-C (biochar) has emerged as a potential best management practice to accumulate organic matter (OM), reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase nutrient retention among degraded, marginally-productive croplands. Nevertheless, the impact of biochar application on intensively cropped prairie eco-regions is not well documented, particularly when co-applied with chemical fertilizer. Our objective was to determine the effect of biochar on cumulative CO2-C, N2O-N and CH4-C emissions, water-extractable OM, and available N (AN; NH4-N + NO3-N) and P (AP; PO4-P) in the presence or absence of NP-fertilizer. Biochar was applied to two surface Chernozems (0–15 cm) of contrasting texture [i.e., sandy clay loam (Raymond) and clayey (Lethbridge)] at six rates (0, 0.15, 0.5, 3, 10 and 20 Mg ha−1) in combination with (+NP) or without (−NP) urea-N (150 kg N ha−1) and KH2PO4 (50 kg P ha−1). A total of 72 soil columns were incubated at 21 °C for 86 d. Biochar addition increased soil total C up to 24.9 g kg−1 and 28.7 g kg−1 in Raymond and Lethbridge, respectively, but did not affect water-extractable OM. Cumulative N2O-N and CH4-C emissions were not influenced by biochar, regardless of whether or not NP-fertilizer was added (p > 0.05). Cumulative CO2-C emissions varied between soil textures and were increased or decreased non-linearly by biochar addition under –NP only. Available P increased within +NP soil with increasing biochar rates reaching 43.9 mg kg−1 in Raymond and 79.5 mg kg−1 in Lethbridge when biochar was applied at 20 Mg ha−1. A similar but less pronounced response was observed for AN. Our results indicate that biochar-only application is not a practical management approach for improving soil fertility and nutrient cycling in surface Chernozems. Nevertheless, co-applying biochar with NP-fertilizer appears to improve soil P availability in the short-term.

Impacts of biochar application on soil fertility, plant nutrients uptake and maize (Zea mays L.) yield in saline sodic soil

Biochar as a soil amendment recently take special attention for ameliorating salt-affected soils, whereas it can be an agriculturally important resource for increasing soil fertility and productivity through the ameliorating of salt-affected soils. The experimental field was conducted in 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 growing season for maize in saline–sodic soil at Agricultural Faculty Farm, Tanta University. The objectives of this study were (i) to study the reclamation effectiveness of wood sawdust (BW) and maize stalk biochars (BM) at rates of 5, 10, and 19 ton ha−1 on amelioration of a saline sodic soil; (ii) evaluation of the response of maize (Zea mays L.) crop and plant nutrients uptake to different treatments; and (iii) monitoring of the gradual improvement in saline sodic soil chemical properties. The results indicated that biochar application significantly increased soil organic matter (SOM), microbial biomass (C), cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations, available phosphorus concentration, fertility index but decreased electrical conductivity (EC), and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of the studied soil. The treatment of 19 ton ha−1 of wood sawdust biochar showed the highest decreases in EC by 62.0%, ESP by 74.5%, and exchangeable Na by 67.4% relative to the control. The highest significant increase in the uptake of NPK, grain, and straw yield of maize plants and soil fertility index corresponded to the 19 ton ha−1 wood sawdust biochar treatment. Our results indicate that biochar can ameliorate saline–sodic soils and improve soil fertility.

Impact of biochar application dose on soil microbial communities associated with rubber trees in North East Thailand

Biochar is a potential tool to mitigate climate change by enhancing C sequestration in soils, but its use as a soil amendment to improve soil fertility and crop yields is still a contentious subject. In North East (NE) Thailand, biochar has been promoted to restore soil fertility in rubber tree plantations. Despite this, there is scarce information on the impact of biochar application on the soil biota, particularly on microbial communities associated with rubber trees. The effects of increasing doses of biochar on microbial communities were investigated in a rubber tree plantation in NE Thailand, 28 months after application. Biochar application resulted in increases of soil pH and nutrient contents and also had an impact on both bacterial and fungal communities. Changes in microbial composition and structure were observed although fungal communities were more markedly affected than bacterial communities. The nature and magnitude of the observed changes were strongly related to soil properties (pH, soil moisture and P content), while biochar dose (5, 10 or 20 tons/ha) effect was not significant. Our results highlight the need for additional research for a better understanding of the impact of biochar application on soil microbial communities and further cascading effects on ecosystem functions.

Impacts of biochar application on upland agriculture: A review

Soil degradation has become an emerging global problem limiting sustainable upland crop production. Soil erosion, soil acidity, low fertility, inorganic/organic contamination, and salinization challenge food security and lead to severe economic constraints. Therefore, a new research agenda to develop cost-beneficial amendments for improving upland soil quality and productivity is urgently required. Biochar has been used in recent years to mitigate the problems mentioned above. Application of biochar improves the upland soil quality through significant changes in soil physicochemical and biological properties, thereby substantially increasing crop yield. This review article aims to discuss the effects of biochar on upland soil quality and productivity based on biochar-soil interactions. The yield of various upland crops can be enhanced by biochar-induced increases of nutrient availability and topsoil retention/recovery. Furthermore, biochar can assist in controlling unsuitable soil acidity/alkalinity/salinity and remediating a contaminated soil while increasing the retention of soil organic carbon, water content, and thereby high crop yield. Biochar is strongly recommended as one of the best management practices to meet the challenges of upland agriculture. However, the properties of biochar and soil type should be considered carefully prior to application.

生物炭施用的固碳减排潜力及农田效应

生物炭施用的固碳减排潜力及农田效应

Impact of biochar application on the productivity of a temperate vegetable cropping system

ABSTRACTFew studies have investigated the potential of biochar in supporting cool temperate horticultural systems with fertile soils. We examined the effects of applying 10 t ha−1 of blue mallee (Eucalyptus polybractea) biochar in combination with fertiliser rate treatments (either full or half the regional recommended rate) on crop yield, yield parameters and soil properties of a cool temperate vegetable cropping system on a red Ferrosol. Biochar amendment did not improve crop yield or other yield parameters of cauliflower, peas and broccoli crops. Similarly, soil parameters including nitrate and ammonium were unaffected by biochar treatment. We suggest the lack of biochar effect on crop and soil parameters was related to the inherent chemical fertility and structural robustness of Ferrosols, which may have mitigated any potential benefits from biochar amendment. Our results demonstrate that biochar application may not bring significant soil quality and crop productivity improvements to high-input agricultural systems.

Shifts in the relative abundance of bacteria after wine-lees-derived biochar intervention in multi metal-contaminated paddy soil

The impact of biochar application on soil ecological functions depends on the diversity of soil conditions and of the feedstocks from which biochar is obtained. Moreover, little information is available on the effect of biochar on dynamic changes in microorganisms with the development of rice plants in multi-metal-contaminated paddy soil amended with wine-lees-derived biochar. In this paper, biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of wine lees at 600°C was used to investigate the potential role of biochar in maintaining soil ecological functions, with consideration of the alteration of the microbial population over periods of rice growth. Biochar increased the soil nutrient availability, suppressed the toxicity of heavy metals and benefited the rice growth. Enzymic activities initially increased and then decreased with increasing biochar addition as well as with the growth stage. High-throughput sequencing results indicated that biochar application shifted the soil microbial community, increased the bacterial diversity and reduced the bacterial richness. The relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes and Cyanobacteria increased with increasing biochar addition, whereas the abundance of Gemmatimonadetes decreased at higher biochar applications. With increasing biochar application, Nitrospirae, which were lowest in the 1% biochar addition treatment, first decreased and then increased. The results from this study indicated that biochar addition increased N2 fixation and improved C cycling. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that RI (potential ecological risk index), AN (available nitrogen) and AP (available phosphorus) were the most important factors for bacteria and accounted for 68.7%, 58.3% and 52.4% of the variation, respectively. Therefore, the reduction of metal toxicity and the improvement of soil fertility are important mechanisms for higher bacterial abundances.

The Effects of Biochar and Its Combination with Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativaL.) Growth, Soil Properties, and Soil Microbial Activity and Abundance

Impacts of biochar application in combination with organic fertilizer, such as compost, are not fully understood. In this study, we tested the effects of biochar amendment, compost addition, and their combination on lettuce plants grown in a soil poor in nutrients; soil microbiological, chemical, and physical characteristics were analyzed, together with plant growth and physiology. An initial screening was also done to evaluate the effect of biochar and compost toxicity, using cress plants and earthworms. Results showed that compost amendment had clear and positive effects on plant growth and yield and on soil chemical characteristics. However, we demonstrated that also the biochar alone stimulated lettuce leaves number and total biomass, improving soil total nitrogen and phosphorus contents, as well as total carbon, and enhancing related microbial communities. Nevertheless, combining biochar and compost, no positive synergic and summative effects were observed. Our results thus demonstrate that in a soil poor in nutrients the biochar alone could be effectively used to enhance soil fertility and plant growth and biomass yield. However, we can speculate that the combination of compost and biochar may enhance and sustain soil biophysical and chemical characteristics and improve crop productivity over time.

Biochar–macrofauna interplay: Searching for new bioindicators

Biochar incorporation in agricultural soils has been proposed as a climate change mitigation strategy and has proved to substantially increase crop productivity via physical, chemical and biological mechanisms. The changes induced in soil properties are known to have a direct impact on soil ecosystem with consequences for soil biota community that, in turn, can influence biochar aging in soil. Despite several studies investigated in the interplay between biochar and soil microbiology, there is a clear lack of information on groups that live in the most superficial ground layers: soil meso and macro fauna. These groups are of great importance if we consider that biochar application should ideally be located in the soil's surface layer (0–30cm). Our study is the first attempt to investigate the interactions between biochar soil amendments and aboveground soil macro-meso fauna in a field crop. This was made setting-up a randomized-block experiment on a processing tomato crop in northern Italy, using three different biochar types and periodically monitoring soil parameters and fauna abundances along the crop growing cycle in summer 2013. Results show that the impact of biochar application on soil fauna as a whole is small when compared to that of agricultural management, suggesting that this amendment does not have short-term ecological interferences. Nevertheless, ants exhibited variations in abundances and distribution connected to properties of amended soils such as temperature, pH and humidity, proving that they can be effectively used as a target group in the study of interactions between biochar and soil biota.

Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar-amended plots

Abstract. Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different plant-based feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms in the fall of 2008. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried in July of 2011 below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a uncharred wood-pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Overall, these findings indicate that no significant alteration in the microbial dynamics of the soil decomposer communities occurred as a consequence of the application of plant-based biochars evaluated here.

Impact of biochar application on plant water relations in Vitis vinifera (L.)

Soil water status plays an important role in growth-yield and grape quality of Vitis vinifera (L.). In some cases, periods of moderate water stress have been indicated to exert a positive effect on the quality of grape production. However, prolonged water stress may have a strong negative affect grapevine photosynthesis and grape yield, especially in dry Mediterranean environments. Biochar is a co-product of a thermochemical conversion of biomass that is recognized to be a beneficial soil amendment, which when incorporated into the soil increases soil water retention. We investigated the effect of two rates of biochar application (22 and 44tonha−1) on plant water relations of V. vinifera in a field experiment in central Italy. Biochar obtained from the carbonization of orchard pruning waste was applied to the soil over two consecutive growing seasons. The treatments did not show a significant increase in soil hydrophobicity. Moreover, soil analysis and ecophysiological measurements indicated a substantial relative increases in available soil water content compared to control soils (from 3.2% to 45% in the 22 and 44tonha−1 application rates, respectively) and in leaf water potential (24–37%) during droughts.