Tea is a high-value crop, but intensive production and long-term over-fertilization have contributed to soil acidification, nutrient loss and declining soil quality in many tea-growing regions. Previous studies have shown that biochar can buffer acidity, retain nutrients and provide habitats for microorganisms, making it a promising soil amendment. However, not all biochars act in the same way. Their effects depend on the plant material used to produce them and the amount applied. For tea plantation soils, the comparative performance of different plant-derived biochars has remained unclear, creating a need to identify which biochar types are most suitable for improving soil chemistry and microbial balance.
A study (DOI: 10.48130/bpr-0025-0046) published in Beverage Plant Research on 23 April 2026 by Qian Tang's & Dandan Tang's team, Sichuan Agricultural University, reports that coconut shell biochar, particularly at 1.0%, was the most effective amendment for improving soil acidity, nutrient status and microbial community structure in tea plantation soil.
The researchers collected soil from a tea plantation in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, China, where Camellia sinensis 'Fuding Dabaicha' had been cultivated for more than seven years. They tested three types of plant-derived biochar—corn stover, reed and coconut shell—at two application levels, 0.5% and 1.0%, alongside a no-biochar control. Soil samples were incubated for 45 days at 25 °C, with moisture maintained at 60% of water-holding capacity. At different time points, the team measured soil pH, nutrient contents and the activities of catalase and urease, two enzymes related to oxidative stress protection and nitrogen transformation. They also used high-throughput sequencing of fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rRNA regions to examine microbial richness, diversity and community composition. The results showed that biochar type and dosage strongly influenced soil responses. Coconut shell biochar produced the most consistent increase in soil pH, with the 1.0% treatment showing a notable rise during incubation. Biochar treatments also stimulated soil enzyme activities. Catalase activity increased under several treatments, while urease activity was enhanced throughout the incubation period, indicating improved nitrogen transformation potential. In nutrient analysis, the 1.0% coconut shell biochar treatment performed especially well, significantly increasing soil organic matter to 1.45 times that of the control and raising available phosphorus. Microbial sequencing further showed that biochar increased bacterial diversity and altered fungal community composition. The 1.0% coconut shell biochar treatment increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota and Gemmatimonadota, groups linked to nutrient cycling and soil resilience, while reducing some acid-associated bacterial groups. These changes suggest that coconut shell biochar not only modifies soil chemistry but also helps create a more favorable microbial environment.
Overall, the study highlights coconut shell biochar as a promising amendment for acidified tea plantation soils. By improving pH, nutrient availability, enzyme activity and microbial diversity, it may help address soil degradation caused by intensive tea cultivation. The authors note that longer-term field trials will be needed to confirm whether these benefits remain stable under real plantation conditions, but the findings provide useful guidance for more targeted and sustainable biochar use in tea agriculture.
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References
DOI
10.48130/bpr-0025-0046
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.48130/bpr-0025-0046
Funding information
This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32202538, 32402633), the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province (2024YFHZ0179, 2024NSFSC0402), and the Sichuan Innovation Team of National Modern Agricultural Industry System (sccxtd-2024-10).
About Beverage Plant Research
Beverage Plant Research (e-ISSN 2769-2108) is the official journal of Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and China Tea Science Society. Beverage Plant Research is an open-access, online-only journal published by Maximum Academic Press. Beverage Plant Research publishes original research, methods, reviews, editorials, and perspectives that advance the biology, chemistry, processing, and health functions of tea and other important beverage plants.