Abstract Co-application of biochar with other amendments is generating interest as a means to increase biochar effectiveness for improving soil health. Yet, the extent to which such co-application improves soil health is unclear. This paper (i) synthesized the impact of biochar applied with or without organic and inorganic amendments on soil health indicators including soil physical, chemical, and biological properties using field studies, (ii) discussed potential factors that may affect the performance of the co-application, and (iii) summarized research needs. Based on 28 peer-reviewed publications up to September 30, 2024, biochar co-application improved 9 of 16 soil properties compared to biochar alone. It enhanced wet aggregate stability in 5 of 9 comparisons by 45%, saturated hydraulic conductivity in 5 of 6 by 17%, field water content in 8 of 14 by 20%, cation exchange capacity in 9 of 17 by 58%, and organic matter concentration in 5 of 9 by 37%. Also, co-application of biochar increased soil microbial biomass C, phosphatase activity, and N and P concentrations by 33% to 76% in most comparisons. However, it had mixed effects on bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, C and K concentrations, as well as urease and dehydrogenase activities. Biochar co-application with organic amendments (compost/manure) improved soil physico-chemical properties (bulk density, C, N, P, K) more consistently than with inorganic amendments (NPK). The benefits of biochar co-application increased with higher application rates. These findings suggest that biochar co-application can improve selected soil properties more than biochar alone, with benefits for soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity, though results for some properties remain inconsistent. Long-term studies (>5 years) across diverse soils and climates are needed to further elucidate these effects and optimize biochar co-application strategies for sustainable soil management. Highlights Biochar co-applied with amendments (compost/manure/NPK) improves some soil properties over biochar alone Soil benefits increase with an increase in biochar co-application rate Biochar + organic amendments are more effective than biochar + inorganic amendments Graphical Abstract

Impact of disintegrants on the structure and disintegration of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose-based amorphous solid dispersion tablets.

Drought stress is one of the major environmental constraints affecting plant growth, development, and economic yield, particularly in vulnerable regions. Conventional plant responses to water scarcity often involve trade-offs that limit yield, posing an urgent need for sustainable strategies to enhance crop resilience. Moreover, decreased crop production, rising inflation, abrupt disease cycling, frequent insect and pest pressures, and other socio-economic issues cumulatively affected global food production and are a concern for nutritional security for expanding populations. Addressing these challenges demands urgent climate adaptation, improved water management, and policy innovation for future resilience. The present review explains the fundamentals of beneficial plant-microbe interactions in mitigating drought stress and utilizing these beneficial microbes, especially microbial consortia, as an integrated approach for gaining agro-ecological sustainability. It brings together current approaches on how plants recruit these stress-tolerant microbes purposefully through changed root exudates and rhizosphere chemistry, and how this changed environment favors the recruited players to work synergistically. Microbial consortia boost the plant performance even under the stressed environment through several key mechanisms, including the synthesis of osmoprotectants, the production of exopolysaccharides for improved water retention and biofilm formation, hormonal changes, antioxidative defense mechanisms, and improved nutrient mobilization under drought conditions. Field applications in several crops demonstrated better performances in growth, yield, and physiological health. However, consortia developed using multiple microbes that have plant growth-promoting properties are more effective than single microbes in alleviating the impacts of drought stress. The application of customized microbial consortia is a potent and environmentally friendly approach for mitigating drought-induced losses, reducing the use of chemicals, and striving toward climate-resilient agriculture. Advanced biotechnological interventions are required in order to address formulation and delivery challenges. Development of SynComs, use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to enhance microbes, and application of AI and multi-omics technologies for developing efficient and crop-specific microbial inoculants will be the future of efficient agricultural systems.

The MOPLUS project, funded by the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), aims to enhance soil organic matter, soil structure, and water retention in apple orchards located in the “Maçã de Alcobaça” Protected Geographical Indication area through organic fertilization based on locally available livestock effluents, thereby reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers under Mediterranean climatic conditions. This study evaluated the physiological and biometric responses of apple trees subjected to four fertilization strategies (M1–M4) in three commercial ‘Gala’ orchards in central Portugal over three growing seasons (2023–2025). Measurements included leaf functional traits, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, spectral indices, vegetative growth, fruit production per tree and mean fruit weight. Interannual climatic variability and orchard-specific conditions were the dominant drivers of tree response, while fertilization effects were smaller and mainly expressed through interactions with year and orchard. When analyzed within the same orchard, fertilization strategies M2 and particularly M3 maintained physiological performance, vegetative growth, and fruit production per tree at levels comparable to full mineral fertilization. Among treatments, M3 showed the most consistent responses across sites and years, indicating that partial mineral substitution with pig slurry can sustain tree functioning while maintaining or enhancing fruit production per tree. The most restrictive strategy (M4) occasionally showed reduced photosynthetic performance under specific orchard–year combinations, suggesting a threshold effect associated with stronger mineral reduction, but without evidence of generalized physiological stress. Overall, these findings demonstrate that partial substitution of mineral fertilizers by organic amendments—especially pig slurry (M3) and, to a lesser extent, composted cattle manure (M2)—is agronomically viable, allowing apple tree performance and productivity to be maintained while enhancing system resilience under Mediterranean climatic variability. These results also provide practical decision support for site-adapted fertilization management in commercial drip-irrigated apple orchards, supporting reduced mineral fertilizer dependence without compromising productivity.

Gel properties of whole soybean curd reinforced by soybean protein isolate amyloid fibrils: Formation mechanism and texture enhancement.

Hydrogen bond driven deep eutectic solvent strategy for enhanced sludge dewatering via protein network remodeling.

Synergistic vehicular-grotthuss conduction in double-network hydrogel electrolytes for zinc dendrite suppression in zinc-air batteries.

Moss biocrusts enhance hydrological functionality on engineered slopes: pore restructuring, water retention, and hydrophobicity compensation in humid subtropical ecosystems

Design and Performance of MHEC/CSP-Based Fire-Preventing Gel: Enhanced Adhesion, Water Retention, and Flame-Retardant Properties

Soil reconstruction using coal industry solid wastes: Linking pollution control with climate variability across scales.

A collagen/silk fibroin/magnesium hydroxide multifunctional sponge with enhanced mechanical strength, rapid hemostasis, and antibacterial properties for promoting infectious wound healing.

Comprehensive identification of aquaporins under salt stress, and functional characterization of DoTIP1-1 in Dendrobium officinale.

New insights into the interaction between bacterioplankton community and dissolved organic matter driven by river connectivity.

Identifying and characterizing bimodal soil hydraulic properties through water retention curve analysis

Coupled THM modeling of bentonite heating and hydration in tank tests with a new temperature-dependent water retention model

The novel cathode reservoir structure for water retention in open-cathode air-cooling PEMFC: A multi-aspect investigation

Crop productivity and food security faces an ever-increasing challenge from drought events world-wide and to establish more drought tolerant crops requires deeper insights into plant dehydration tolerance. We compared the inducible vegetative dehydration tolerance (IVDT) of the moss Physcomitrium patens and the vegetative dehydration sensitivity (VDS) of the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana, using a combination of structural, physiological and transcriptomic analyses. Key components in the IVDT response of P. patens, ELIPs and bZIP transcription factors, were functionally investigated using both transient and stable transformation. Physcomitrium patens exhibited survival after c. 98% water loss, with reversible cellular changes, and a 'shutdown-restart' physiological and transcriptomic program. By contrast, A. thaliana perished below 25% relative water content and suffered irreversible cellular damage. Physcomitrium patens's accumulated protective gene transcripts (e.g. ELIPs, SODs, and bZIPs) during dehydration, whereas Arabidopsis prioritized stress avoidance over protection. Functional validation indicted PpELIPs stabilized photosynthetic pigments in transgenic plants, while PpbZIP transcription factors enhanced water retention via abscisic acid-independent pathways. The comparison of divergent response mechanisms, IVDT and VDS, to dehydration revealed components that protect photosynthesis and alter plant water relations to delay wilting and maintain productivity during water limiting conditions thus offering bryophyte-based strategies for crop improvement for drought tolerance.

Nanosilica-reinforced carboxymethyl cellulose/polyacrylamide hydrogel composites for sustained lidocaine release.

Bio-clogging is critical to the efficiency of soil aquifer treatment. In this study, we utilized a percolation column device to investigate the dynamic evolution of biofilm and the corresponding responses changes of three typical hydraulic properties with the column within the percolation column. The results showed that the biofilm development exhibited five-stage growth morphology: bacterial stage, colony stage, biofilm with filamentous EPS stage, biofilm with mesh EPS stage, and dense biofilm stage. The hydraulic conductivity exhibited nonuniform decay across five stages: initial fluctuation period, swiftly declining period, accelerated declining period, gently decreasing period, and equilibrium stabilizing period. Both bacteria and EPS contribute to the attenuation of the infiltration properties. Due to its hydrophilic nature, EPS played a more prominent role in storing and dispersing water. As such, significant changes in water holding capacity and material transport mechanism occurred at EPS secretion onset. From 0-18 h, bacterial colonization slightly enhanced water retention, accompanied by a gradual rise in the hydraulic dispersion coefficient. After approximately 18 h, substantial EPS production markedly increased water-holding capacity and transformed the dominant transport mechanism from convection to dispersion.

Land cover plays an essential role in maintaining hydrological balance and soil conservation in tropical forest ecosystems. The decline in vegetation cover can lead to reduced infiltration, increased surface runoff, and decreased soil water-holding capacity. This literature review aims to analyze the relationship between land cover, water retention, and soil conservation in tropical forests based on recent scientific findings. The analysis includes studies on soil biophysical properties, rainfall, vegetation types, and forest management strategies. The results indicate that dense and multi-layered vegetation improves soil porosity, infiltration, and water retention while reducing erosion. In contrast, the degradation of vegetation cover decreases soil physical quality and hydrological stability. Effective conservation efforts include the implementation of agroforestry systems, integrated watershed management, and sustainable forest protection policies.