A new paper released in Nature says foliar application of nano-biochar can increase tomato productivity by counteracting salt stress.
The investigation looked at the application of nano-biochar colloidal solution (NBS) on salt-stressed tomato plants.
The results showed that 3% NBS application improved plant height, biomass, fruit count and weight under both non-stressed and stressed plants. “In addition, 3% NBS application further increased the plant pigments such as chlorophyll by 72% and 53%, carotenoids by 64% and 40%, leaf relative water content by 4.1 fold and 1.07 fold under both conditions, respectively.”
High salinity can lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells, explains the paper. The presence of Na+ and Cl- ions can impact protein synthesis, plant lipid metabolism, and enzyme functioning. These ions can also promote ROS production that can ‘impose very fatal oxidative stress on plants’.
Biochar has a high capacity for adsorbing salt, which could lower plant Na+ absorption and mitigate the negative effects of soil salinity. Biochar contains inorganic carbonates and minerals like calcium and magnesium that are good for plant growth said the paper.
The international team of researchers were from the University of Lahore, Pakistan; Harbin Normal University, Harbin, China; Kyungpook National University, South Korea and King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project received funding from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, project number (RSP2025R393). The nano solution was supplied by Shaanxi Dainong Huitai Biological Health Agricultural Technology Co, China.
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Paper citation:
Shahzadi, J., Zaib-un-Nisa, Ali, N. et al. Foliar application of nano biochar solution elevates tomato productivity by counteracting the effect of salt stress insights into morphological physiological and biochemical indices. Sci Rep 15, 3205 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87399-5