Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in biochar-amended soils: a review

Jonna Rosenthal; Kpoti M. Gunn

doi:10.1071/SR24123

REVIEW (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 63(5)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in biochar-amended soils: a review

Jonna Rosenthal

^A ^* and Kpoti M. Gunn ^B ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Smith College, 10 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063, USA.

^B Faculty in the Richard J. Resch School of Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311, USA.

^* Correspondence to: jrosenthal@smith.edu, jonnasage@gmail.com, gunnk@uwgb.edu

Handling Editor: Leo Condron

Soil Research 63, SR24123 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR24123

Submitted: 23 July 2024 Accepted: 5 June 2025 Published: 24 June 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Biochar has been a centre of advancement in agricultural and chemical technologies research in the past decade due to its effectiveness as a sustainable fertilizer and toxicological absorbent. However, this research has failed to address the variety of biochar’s effects on soil ecosystems. Due to this oversight, the impacts of biochar amendments on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are largely overlooked. This work reviews a multitude of sources in an attempt to summarise current research surrounding biochar’s positive impacts on the ecological functioning of AMF and the implications for sustainable agricultural advancements. Findings vary in applicability; however, baseline trends show that infrequent biochar application leads to higher AMF root colonisation rates. Furthermore, biochar may also increase AMF biodiversity as well as spore count. This review is the starting point for the analysis of biochar on non-target soil microorganisms. Due to the current gaps in the literature, future research should focus on standardizing pyrolysis and biochar application methodology to advance potential positive applications of AMF to agricultural cultivations.

Keywords: adsorption, agricultural improvements, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, biochar, drought mitigation, field applications, nutrient uptake, soil conservation.

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