Editorial: Biochar role in enhancing agro-ecosystem resilience

Biochar is a porous and carbon-rich material produced through biomass pyrolysis. It has in the past two decades received unpreceded research attention and continues as studies reveal various and multifunctional potential to ameliorate both soil quality and crop productivity (Xu et al., 2025).Biochar's porous structure, high surface area and chemical stability enable improved soil nutrient retention, water holding capacity and microbial habitat environment. Consequently, biochar is increasingly recognized as a key tool for enhancing agroecosystem resilience, particularly under conditions of environmental stress such as acidic, degraded, saline or heavy-metal polluted soils, as well as soils prone to drought (Liu et al., 2025;Liu et al., 2024;Liu, Ma, et al., 2022;Liu, Manevski, et al., 2022). The Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Directive of the European Union includes biochar (including soil applications) as one of the permanent carbon removal activities with technological maturity and deemed robust scientific understanding (EC, 2024). Yet, many effects of biochar and rates of application on soil processes and crop growth remain insufficiently understood across different soil types and depts, plants species and functional categories, precipitation regimes and irrigation managements; further research is essential to reveal its mechanisms of action from cell to plant and agroecosystem level, interactions with other soil amendments and to also support evidence-based government policy recommendations to ensure its safe and sustainable agricultural use.In that regard, several Research Topics of Frontiers have been launched involving biochar applications in soils and beyond, including environmental purposes of soil nutrition, water and wastewater treatment and biomethane production (Sánchez, 2024), research revealing plant physiological response to abiotic stress (Zhang et al., 2025), and how agroecosystems thrive on biochar-amended soils for their resilience. It is this latter Research Topic 'Biochar Role in Enhancing Agro-ecosystem Resilience' providing new evidence on biochar contribution to crops and vegetables productivity and nutrition, soil carbon stabilization, and sustainable agricultural management even on a medium-to long time scale (Gao et al., 2025;Upadhyay et al., 2025;Xu et al., 2025). These studies collectively highlight the positive role of biochar in supporting sustainable intensification while simultaneously addressing soil degradation and climate-related challenges.Studies within this Research Topic demonstrate that biochar as soil amendment significantly improves crop growth, biomass production, and yield stability. Biochar has been shown to mitigate abiotic stress effects, including ozone-induced oxidative damage, resulting in improved photosynthetic performance, antioxidant activity, and crop yield (Upadhyay et al., 2025). Biochar thus could enhance plant physiological resilience by concurrently reducing oxidative stress and improving nutrient availability. In addition, an extensive scientific literature review clearly reveals improved nutrient uptake efficiency in vegetables grown on biochar-amended soil through enhanced cation exchange capacity and soil nutrient retention; the porous structure of biochar facilitates adsorption of essential macronutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and likely micronutrients which are especially important for vegetables growth, also reducing leaching losses and increasing plant availability (Xu et al., 2025). This improved nutrient availability at agroecosystem level translates into enhanced plant biomass accumulation and productivity. Machado et al. (2026) focused on integrated soil management systems and further demonstrated the potential of biochar combined with organic amendments such as compost to enhance plant growth and improve crop nutritional quality compared to conventional fertilization alone. Such synergistic effects are yet to be fully revealed but so far can be attributed to improved soil fertility, increased microbial activity, and enhanced nutrient cycling. Overall, the studies in this Research Topic confirm that biochar improves plant performance through multiple mechanisms, including improved nutrient retention, enhanced stress tolerance, and optimized soil physical properties, ultimately contributing to improved crop productivity and agro-ecosystem resilience.Beyond its direct effects on crop growth, biochar plays a critical role in improving soil carbon storage and soil health. Due to its highly aromatic and stable carbon structure, biochar resists microbial decomposition, allowing carbon to remain stored in soil for extended periods. Mediumto long-term (10-years) field experiments reported in this Research Topic demonstrate significant increases in soil organic carbon following one-time biochar application, regardless of application rate, confirming its role as an effective carbon sequestration strategy (Gao et al., 2025). Biochar also improves soil physical properties, including soil aggregation, porosity and water retention capacity, which enhance overall soil function and resilience. Improvements in soil structure promote root growth and microbial activity, further enhancing nutrient cycling and soil fertility (Liu, Ma, et al., 2022). In addition, biochar increases soil pH in acidic soils and improves cation exchange capacity, contributing to improved nutrient retention and reduced nutrient losses.Importantly, biochar application contributes to long-term stabilization of organic carbon by promoting interactions between biochar particles and native soil organic matter, resulting in enhanced carbon persistence and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (Xu et al., 2025;Machado et al., 2026). These findings highlight biochar's potential to simultaneously enhance soil fertility and contribute to climate change mitigation.