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

Drought stress is a major constraint in crop production. It impairs plant growth by disrupting physiological performance, osmotic balance, and nutrient uptake. Recently, biochar has become a popular technique to overcome this issue. It can minimize water losses due to its high water-holding capacity. However, limited information is available on the use of cellulose-wicked biochar (CWB) in maize to overcome drought stress. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of CWB in mitigating drought stress and improving Zea mays L. growth. Four levels of CWB (0, 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75%) were applied in soil under 75% field capacity and drought-stressed (45% field capacity) in 3 replicates. Results showed that under drought stress, applying 0.75% CWB significantly improved plant height (38.44%), leaf area index (57.87%), root length (40.33%), root volume (66.12%), shoot fresh weight (64.07%), shoot dry weight (58.44%), grain yield (82.19%), and biological yield (82.79%) over control. Decreases in malondialdehyde (21.10%) and proline (18.50%) and increases in soluble sugars (50.99%) and soluble proteins (24.37%) also were associated with improved physiological and biochemical status under drought stress. In conclusion, 0.75% CWB has potential for improving maize growth under drought stress, yet more field studies are recommended to declare 0.75% CWB as best amendment for mitigation of drought stress in maize under natural climatic conditions.