The sustainable management of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) is becoming increasingly critical due to resource depletion and inefficient nutrient utilization in agricultural systems. In this context, biochar-based cascade systems are gaining attention for nutrient recovery, recycling, and efficient utilization. This review evaluates recent advances in biochar-based phosphorus and potassium recovery systems, with particular emphasis on nutrient dynamics, recovery mechanisms, modification strategies, and current research challenges. Low fertilizer-use efficiency in conventional agricultural systems has resulted in substantial phosphorus (P) fixation in soils and potassium (K) leaching, leading to nutrient loss, environmental pollution, and depletion of natural resources. Biochar, produced through the thermochemical conversion of biomass. It serves as a nutrient source, with the potential to retain, adsorb, and gradually release nutrients over extended periods, owing to biochar’s large surface area, high porosity, and abundance of surface functional groups that provide chemical binding sites for nutrients. The feedstock type, temperature, and conditions under which the materials are pyrolyzed, as well as post-processing of the resulting product, are key factors that define the nutrient dynamics of biochar. To enhance the performance of biochar for nutrient availability and recovery, ongoing investigations are exploring approaches to modification, such as co-pyrolysis, metal doping, nano-biochar production, and biochar-microorganism interactions. The biochar cascade enables sequential nutrient recovery, transformation, and utilization, forming a closed-loop pathway for Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) management. These systems mobilize immobilized soil phosphorus and potassium through physical and biological mechanisms to improve crop fertility and productivity. Despite these benefits, several challenges remain, including performance variability, lack of standardization, potential environmental hazards, and limited long-term field validation of the results. Future research should focus on long-term field validation, standardized assessment protocols, economic feasibility, and life-cycle assessment to facilitate the large-scale implementation of biochar cascade systems within sustainable agricultural and circular bioeconomy frameworks.
S. Kowsalya, Jennifer Flora, Varshini Kumar et al.· Frontiers in Agronomy· 0 citations
Background: Traditional rice landraces represent valuable reservoirs of genetic diversity associated with agronomically important traits, stress adaptation, nutritional quality and regional adaptation. Iluppai Poo Samba (Oryza sativa L.) is a traditional South Indian rice landrace cultivated in Tamil Nadu, India, valued for its characteristic aroma, grain quality and adaptation to local agroecological conditions. However, genomic information for this cultivar remains limited. The present study aimed to characterize genome-wide sequence variation in Iluppai Poo Samba through whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Methods: High-quality paired-end sequencing libraries were prepared using the NEXTflex Rapid DNA Sequencing platform and sequenced using Illumina chemistry. Sequence reads were subjected to quality assessment, genome alignment, variant calling, genome-wide SNP density analysis and functional annotation of genomic variants. Result: Sequencing quality assessment demonstrated high-quality reads with Q20 values exceeding 97% and Q30 values exceeding 94%, with an average GC content of approximately 45%. A total of 1,410,690 SNPs and 138,431 InDels were observed across the genome. Genome-wide SNP analysis revealed extensive chromosomal variation, heterogeneous SNP distribution patterns and distinct polymorphic hotspot regions. Functional annotation detected widespread intergenic, intronic and coding-region polymorphisms, including 44,070 synonymous and 51,380 non-synonymous SNPs. Transition/transversion (Ts/Tv) ratios ranging from 2.24 to 2.50 supported the reliability of variant identification. Variants associated with stress-responsive transporters, kinase signalling proteins, transcription factors and regulatory genes were also detected, indicating potentially important adaptive genomic signatures within the Iluppai Poo Samba genome.
Einstein Mariya David, Theivasigamani Parthasarathi· Agricultural Science Digest...· 0 citations
Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that severely restricts crop productivity by disrupting ionic balance, inducing osmotic stress, and promoting oxidative damage. Black gram (Vigna mungo L.), an important pulse crop, is highly sensitive to salinity, resulting in reduced growth, physiological performance, and yield. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a compatible multi-strain HPGPB consortium comprising MKM3 (Halobacillus marinus), MKM4 (Halobacillus halophilus), and MKM11 (Halobacillus halophilus) in enhancing salinity tolerance in two black gram varieties (VBN8 and VBN11) under greenhouse conditions. Plants were subjected to 50 and 100 mM NaCl stress, with and without consortium inoculation, in a completely randomized design. Salinity stress significantly reduced plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, biomass, nutrient uptake, and grain yield, while increasing Na+ accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and osmotic stress markers. Consortium inoculation effectively mitigated these adverse effects by improving plant height, root development, biomass, and grain yield by up to 46 and 38%, respectively, under saline conditions. Consortium-inoculated plants exhibited improved photosynthetic performance, enhanced nutrient uptake and ionic balance, reduced Na+ accumulation and malondialdehyde content, and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, indicating enhanced salinity tolerance. Among the tested varieties, VBN11 exhibited greater salinity tolerance and a stronger response to consortium inoculation than VBN8. Rhizosphere metagenomic analysis revealed consortium-associated shifts in microbial community structure under saline conditions. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the HPGPB consortium enhances salinity tolerance through coordinated physiological, biochemical, and microbiome-associated mechanisms. These findings highlight the potential of HPGPB consortia as sustainable bioinoculants for improving black gram productivity in salt-affected agroecosystems.
Daniel Raphael, Theivasigamani Parthasarathi· Frontiers in Microbiology· 0 citations
