Biochar helps soils break down harmful herbicide and protect crops
image: Biochar enhances the sorption and degradation of fluridone and its main metabolite in soil: insights into biodegradation potential and remediation of microbial communities
Credit: Chi Wu, Yuzhu Wang, Jihong Liu Clarke, Hang Su, Liang Wang, Olga A. Glazunova, Konstantin V. Moiseenko, Lan Zhang, Liangang Mao, Lizhen Zhu & Xingang Liu
A new study has revealed that biochar, a carbon-rich material made from crop residues, can significantly reduce the persistence of the widely used herbicide fluridone in agricultural soils, while also protecting soil microbes and improving crop growth.
Fluridone is a systemic herbicide commonly used to control broad-leaved weeds in crops such as cotton. However, its long-lasting residues and major breakdown product, fluridone acid, can remain in soils for months to years, posing risks to non-target plants, aquatic life, and even food security.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and international collaborators tested rice hull biochar produced at different temperatures and added it to four types of soil. They found that biochar not only increased the binding of fluridone and its metabolite to soil particles but also accelerated their breakdown. In particular, biochar produced at 500°C reduced the herbicide’s half-life by up to 45%.
Importantly, the study revealed that biochar altered the soil microbial community in positive ways. Microbes known to degrade pollutants—such as Lysobacter, Pseudonocardia, and Sphingomonas—became more abundant in biochar-amended soils. This shift enhanced biodegradation, the main process responsible for eliminating fluridone.
In pot experiments, maize seedlings grown in fluridone-contaminated soil showed stunted growth and leaf damage. But when biochar was added, the plants grew taller, developed longer roots, and accumulated far less herbicide in their tissues.
“This work highlights the dual role of biochar in both adsorbing pesticides and stimulating beneficial microbes,” said Dr. Xingang Liu, corresponding author of the study. “Our findings suggest that biochar could be a sustainable and low-cost tool for reducing pesticide residues, protecting soil ecosystems, and safeguarding crop production.”
The research provides new insights into the environmental fate of herbicides and supports the use of agricultural waste-derived biochar as a soil remediation strategy. The authors recommend further field trials to optimize biochar application and integrate it with broader sustainable farming practices.
The study, “Biochar enhances the sorption and degradation of fluridone and its main metabolite in soil: insights into biodegradation potential and remediation of microbial communities”, was published in Biochar (Springer Nature).
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Reference: Wu, C., Wang, Y., Clarke, J.L. et al. Biochar enhances the sorption and degradation of fluridone and its main metabolite in soil: insights into biodegradation potential and remediation of microbial communities. Biochar 7, 81 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-025-00469-9
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About Biochar
Biochar is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.