Cellulose-Wicked Biochar Boosts Maize Growth and Yield Under Drought Stress

Drought remains one of the most serious constraints on crop production, disrupting plant growth by interfering with physiological performance, osmotic balance and nutrient uptake. A new study published in Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture examines a material that has attracted growing attention for exactly this purpose: cellulose-wicked biochar, or CWB.

Biochar has become a popular technique for coping with drought because of its high water-holding capacity, which can minimize water losses from soil. However, the authors note that limited information has been available on the use of cellulose-wicked biochar specifically in maize. The study was designed to investigate whether CWB could mitigate drought stress and improve the growth of Zea mays L., one of the world’s most important cereal crops.

The experiment tested four levels of CWB — 0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 percent — applied to soil, with plants grown under two water regimes: 75 percent field capacity and drought-stressed conditions at 45 percent field capacity. Each treatment was replicated three times, allowing the researchers to compare how increasing doses of the amendment performed against untreated controls under water-limited conditions.

The results were striking. Under drought stress, applying 0.75 percent CWB significantly improved plant height by 38.44 percent and leaf area index by 57.87 percent compared with the control. Root development responded even more strongly, with root length increasing by 40.33 percent and root volume by 66.12 percent. Shoot fresh weight rose by 64.07 percent and shoot dry weight by 58.44 percent.

Yield measures showed the largest gains of all. Grain yield increased by 82.19 percent and biological yield by 82.79 percent relative to drought-stressed controls receiving no biochar. These figures suggest that the amendment’s benefits extend well beyond vegetative growth, reaching the reproductive output that ultimately determines a crop’s economic value.

The study also documented changes in biochemical markers associated with drought stress. Malondialdehyde, a commonly used indicator of oxidative damage to cell membranes, decreased by 21.10 percent in the treated plants, while proline, an osmoprotectant that accumulates under stress, fell by 18.50 percent. Lower levels of both markers are consistent with reduced stress burden in the biochar-treated plants.

At the same time, soluble sugars increased by 50.99 percent and soluble proteins by 24.37 percent.

The authors conclude that 0.75 percent CWB has potential for improving maize growth under drought stress. However, they are careful to qualify this finding: more field studies are recommended before declaring 0.75 percent CWB the best amendment for mitigating drought stress in maize under natural climatic conditions. The controlled conditions of the reported experiment, while informative, do not by themselves establish performance across the variable environments of real-world farming.

That caveat matters for anyone hoping to translate the results into practice. The reported improvements were observed at the highest application rate tested, 0.75 percent CWB, compared with untreated drought-stressed controls, and the authors frame the current findings as a foundation for further testing rather than a final recommendation. The authors conclude that 0.75 percent CWB has potential for improving maize growth under drought stress, while noting that validation under natural field conditions through more field studies remains the necessary next step.

Subject of Research: The effect of cellulose-wicked biochar on maize growth, physiology and yield under drought stress

Article Title: Cellulose-wicked biochar based physiological and biochemical responses associated with improved growth and yield of maize under drought stress

Article References: Liao, Y., Huang, S., Shoaib, S., & Alotaibi, N. M. (2026). Cellulose-wicked biochar based physiological and biochemical responses associated with improved growth and yield of maize under drought stress. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-026-01110-y

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40538-026-01110-y

Keywords: biochar, maize, drought stress, cellulose-wicked biochar, grain yield, soil amendment, water-holding capacity, malondialdehyde, proline, field capacity, plant physiology, crop production