Fungi and biochar help a medicinal herb survive drought stress
Mycorrhizal Networks
If you garden in a dry climate or water sparingly, mixing biochar into your soil and encouraging mycorrhizal fungi around your plants' roots can help them cope with less water without sacrificing growth.
Researchers grew a wild Iranian mint-family herb used in traditional medicine and tested whether adding biochar to the soil or inoculating its roots with a helpful fungus could help it handle drought. Both treatments boosted the plant's growth, root size, and water-use efficiency, especially when combined, though drought still cut biomass overall. The best result came from mild water restriction rather than full watering or severe drought, suggesting a little stress can actually help these plants thrive with less water.
Key Findings
Severe drought stress (40% field capacity) significantly reduced water-use efficiency, while mild stress (70%) showed no significant difference from full irrigation (100%)
Biochar application (5% w/w soil) increased water-use efficiency, growth rate, leaf number, root length, root weight, and root volume
Mycorrhizal inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae improved growth rate, leaf number/area, root volume/weight, chlorophyll index, biomass, and water-use efficiency, though its effectiveness declined under drought unless paired with biochar
chevron_right Technical Summary
Adding biochar to soil and inoculating roots with beneficial fungi helped a drought-prone medicinal herb grow better and use water more efficiently when irrigation was cut back, offering a low-tech way to keep crops productive in dry regions.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Integrated effect of biochar application and mycorrhizal inoculation on growth and biomass production of Dracocephalum kotschyi Bioss. under water-deficit conditions
IntroductionDracocephalum kotschyi Boiss., a member of the Lamiaceae family, is a native species found in central and western Iran and is known locally as Badrandjboie-Dennaie or Zarrin-Giah. It is...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Gene editing removes 97% of celiac-triggering proteins from bread wheat
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem, supporting complex interactions between microorganisms, soil fauna, and plant communities. For plant science, soil health is critical because these biological and chemical soil properties directly control nutrient availability,
arrow_forward Explore topic