TITLE:
Biochar Rate Effects on Soil Water Content in Agricultural Production in the Lower Mississippi River Valley
AUTHORS:
James M. Burke, Kristofor R. Brye, Mike Hamilton, Mike B. Daniels, Lee Riley, Brett Cooper, Eric Simon
KEYWORDS:
Biochar, Soil Water Content, Furrow Irrigation, Rainfed Irrigation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.17 No.7,
July
7,
2026
ABSTRACT: In row-crop agriculture, soil water content and water retention are vital concerns for optimal crop productivity. Biochar has been reported to increase soil water-holding capacity owing to biochar’s porous nature, varying particle size, and large surface area. The objective of this field study was to evaluate the effects of biochar (B) rate [i.e., 0 (0B), 2000 (2B), and 4000 (4B) kg·ha−1], soil depth (i.e., 15, 30, and 45 cm), and their interaction on soil water content at three locations (i.e., Newport in 2023 and 2024, Stuttgart from 2023-2025, and Dumas in 2024 and 2025) throughout the Lower Mississippi River Valley region of eastern Arkansas. At Newport in 2023, averaged across time, soil water contents in the 2B were 4.9% greater than the 0B treatment. At Dumas, soil water contents in the 2B/45- were 15% greater than in the 0B/15-cm combination in 2024 [cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)] and were 14% greater in the 0B/30- than in the 2B/30-cm combination in 2025 [corn (Zea mays L.)]. Soil water contents at Stuttgart were 8% greater in the 4B/30- than in the 0B/45-cm combination, 18% larger in the 0B/45- than in the 2B/30-cm combination, and 4% greater in the 0B/45- than in the 2B/30-cm combination in 2023, 2024, and 2025 under soybean (Glycine max L.), corn, and soybean, respectively. Results indicated that soil-applied biochar can conserve more soil water in water-limited environments than in agroecosystems that undergo frequent furrow-irrigation throughout a typical growing season in eastern Arkansas. Data were not collected at Dumas in 2023 and at Newport in 2025 as the result of repeated equipment malfunctions which hindered data collection.