TITLE:
Biochar Rate Effects on Soil Water Retention in an Agroecosystem on an Alluvial Silt-Loam Soil in Southeast Arkansas
AUTHORS:
Hank Martin, Kristofor R. Brye, Diego Della Lunga, Jonathan B. Brye, James Burke
KEYWORDS:
Biochar, Water Retention, Soil Degradation, Cotton-Corn Production, Arkansas
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
16,
2026
ABSTRACT: Biochar application to agroecosystems has become popular as a soil-health-improving, agricultural conservation practice that has been reported to positively affect numerous near-surface soil properties. However, biochar effects have often been inconsistent among cropping systems, management practices, and soil textures. The aim of this field study was to assess the effects of biochar application rate (i.e., 0, 2,000, and 4,000 kg ha−1 yr−1) after three consecutive years of annual pre-plant application (i.e., 0, 6,000, and 12,000 kg ha−1 total) with minimal surface incorporation on near-surface soil properties and soil water retention, based on soil wetting curves, in a furrow-irrigated, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)-corn (Zea mays) rotation on an alluvial silt-loam soil in southeast Arkansas. At the end of the 2025 corn growing season, all soil properties in the top 15 cm did not differ (P > 0.05) among biochar rates when treated as a discrete or continuous variable. Evaluated with the slope and intercept parameters from the linear and natural-logarithm regression fits characterizing the relationships between soil water potential and soil water content, soil water retention was unaffected (P > 0.05) by biochar rate. Biochar applications require continued evaluation across different crop management practices and soil textures to improve our understanding of the potential effects of biochar on crop productivity, various soil properties, and general soil health.