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Combining compost and biochar facilitates moisture improvements and plant growth under field conditions
(2026-03-01)
Kamchoom, Viroon
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Chaisarn, Sumetha
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Ni, Junjun
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Chen, Zhongkui
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Sinsamutpadung, Natdanai
Aims: Using vegetation on degraded soils often faces difficulties due to poor nutrients and limited water retention. Soil amendments such as compost and biochar are therefore required. However, their combined effects on soil and plant development are complex, as intense rainfall and high temperatures in tropical conditions may accelerate amendment degradation and alter soil properties over time. Methods: A two-year field experiment was conducted to monitor soil moisture dynamics, microstructure, vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) growth, including shoot height, root depth, and root biomass. Four treatments were compared: unamended soil (S), soil + compost (C), soil + compost + raw biochar (C + RB), and soil + compost + pre-treated biochar (C + PB). Results: S and C treatments exhibited relatively low water retention, associated with smaller proportions of sub-micropores and super-nanopores. C contained more large pores, promoting drainage but causing greater moisture fluctuations. In contrast, C + RB enhanced water retention by increasing fine-pore volumes, while C + PB achieved the highest and most stable soil water content. The improved moisture conditions in C + PB corresponded with deeper rooting and greater root biomass compared with other treatments. Conclusion: Pure compost promoted early plant growth but was less effective over multiple wet–dry seasons, as its organic matter decomposed rapidly under tropical conditions. Combining compost and biochar, particularly pre-treated biochar, offers a practical, field-ready approach to improve soil structure and moisture retention, thereby supporting sustained plant growth in degraded soils.
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Potentials of mycorrhizal fungi in altering eight biomechanical properties of plant roots
(2024-01-30)
Chen, Xun Wen
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Kamchoom, Viroon
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Wu, Jiaqi
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Sun, Guodong
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Zhang, Qiang
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous and impactful symbionts of most land plants and can regulate essential ecological processes. AM fungi can increase the cellulose content of root cell walls and hence the root tensile strength of grass. How AM fungi can alter other essential biomechanical properties is not clear. This study aims to study the contribution of AM fungi in altering biomechanical properties by comparing mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal roots. We inoculated three fungal species to vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) for comparison. Eight root biomechanical properties (i.e., yield strain, yield stress, break strain, tensile strength, Young's modulus, plastic modulus, plastic strain, and toughness) were determined for each root using a newly developed Fortran language-based program. Inoculating AM fungi decreased both Young's modulus and plastic modulus by 23% and 17%, respectively, versus control, although it was species-dependent. Yield stress was not significantly affected, but tensile strength was increased by 7%–17% upon fungal symbiosis. Together with the increases in break strain by 15%–20%, mycorrhizal roots possessed a notably higher toughness than non-mycorrhizal roots by up to 36%. Greater root cohesion of mycorrhizal roots confirmed the enhanced (1.5-fold) factor of safety in the soil-root system. Our findings imply that AM fungi are of significant interest in plant biomechanics and geotechnical engineering. Applying AM fungi on soil slopes has considerable potential to improve vegetation and stability of green slopes.
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Dynamic changes in cellulose content and biomechanical properties of mycorrhizal roots during growth and decay
(2023-09-01)
Kamchoom, Viroon
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Chen, Xun Wen
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Leung, Anthony Kwan
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Sakolpanya, Tapakorn
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Srinil, Chortham
Aims: Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been found to increase plant biomass, cellulose content, and the associated root biomechanical properties, but little is known about how AM fungi affect the in situ root decay process in terms of the changes in the chemical and biomechanical properties. Methods: In this study, we inoculated AM fungi to Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L.) and measured the biomass, the contents of cellulose and lignin, and the biomechanical properties, including tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the grass roots as they grew for 180 days and then decayed for 360 days after burning or for 60 days after the herbicide application. Results: Results show that the AM fungi accelerated the accumulation of grass biomass and root cellulose content compared with non-mycorrhizal grass during the growth period. This effect of AM fungi made mycorrhizal grass generally maintained more biomass and cellulose content than non-mycorrhizal grass at every decaying stage. Inoculation of the AM fungi did not significantly change the root tensile strength or Young’s modulus, but it altered the correlations between tensile strength and root diameter, and Young’s modulus and root diameter. Mycorrhizal effects during the root decaying process appeared to diminish under herbicide treatment, compared with normal growth and burning treatments. Conclusion: Our study highlights the important role of AM fungi in maintaining in situ root biomass (a proxy for carbon content) from decaying or decomposing.

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