{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"institution":[{"name":"Research Square"}],"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T22:23:44Z","timestamp":1768343024989,"version":"3.49.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]]},"group-title":"In Review","reference-count":64,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768262400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,11]]},"abstract":"<title>Abstract<\/title>\n                <p>\n                  <bold>Background and aims<\/bold>\n                  Acidic-coarse granitic-soils dominate North and Central Portugal, their productivity being limited by nutrient limitations and Al\/Mn toxicity, low water retention causing drought stress, and soil hardness. Al\n                  <sup>3+<\/sup>\n                  \/Mn\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  induce P-immobilization and antagonize Ca\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  \/Mg\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  uptake, high sand content limits water retention, and hard-setting creates a cement-like structure that limits root growth. We hypothesized that biochar incorporation would alleviate these three limitations and improve pasture productivity and quality.\n                  <bold>Methods<\/bold>\n                  10 plots with woody biochar (4% w\/w) and 10 controls in randomized block design field experiment.\n                  <bold>Results<\/bold>\n                  Contrary to common findings, biochar alleviated nutrient limitation and improved soil nutrient status not by increasing available nutrients (except K\n                  <sup>+<\/sup>\n                  ), rather by decreasing antagonist soil metal concentrations, their antagonism on Ca\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  \/Mg\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  uptake, and their ratios against available P. Decrease in Al\n                  <sup>3+<\/sup>\n                  occurred due to liming effect, whereas that of Mn\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  and Fe\n                  <sup>2+<\/sup>\n                  \/Fe\n                  <sup>3+<\/sup>\n                  is not fully clear. Biochar increased available K, total N, and SOM, while increasing K\/decreasing Mn grass uptake, increasing forb N and S uptake, but decreasing legume Mg and Zn tissue content. SMC was increased in the root zone (31%) but decreased in deep layers of biochar treatment, whereas extreme drought stress was completely eliminated during critical flowering period. Biochar reduced soil hardness (29-68%) in deep layers but not in top-soil, and increased aboveground productivity from 6 to 9 t ha\n                  <sup>\u22121<\/sup>\n                  , increasing grass and legume, but not forb biomass, and increasing protein yield (52%).\n                  <bold>Conclusion<\/bold>\n                  Biochar offers a multifunctional solution for acidic-coarse drought-affected granitic-soils, reducing needs for costly separate measures (dolomitic limestones\/mechanical treatments\/irrigation) while substantially increasing fodder quantity and quality.\n                <\/p>","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-8575938\/v1","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T15:47:38Z","timestamp":1768319258000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Biochar application to soil alleviates nutrient limitation, drought stress, and soil hardness, while improving aboveground productivity in a Mediterranean sown pasture"],"prefix":"10.21203","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6274-4764","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antun","family":"Jelin\u010di\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Frank G.A.","family":"Verheijen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Liliana","family":"Sim\u00f5es","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Marjan","family":"Jongen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Terraprima \u2013 Servi\u00e7os Ambientais, Centro de Neg\u00f3cios do Porto Alto, Frac\u00e7\u00e3o S, Avenida das Na\u00e7\u00f5es Unidas, n\u00ba 97, 2135-199 Samora Correia, Portugal and MARETEC - Marine, Environment and Technology Centre\/LARSyS, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Oscar","family":"Gonzalez-Pelayo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Vasco","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Simon","family":"Jeffery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Crop and Environmental Sciences, Agriculture and Environment Department, Harper Adams University, Newport, Shropshire, UK"}]},{"given":"Tiago","family":"Domingos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MARETEC - Marine, Environment and Technology Centre\/LARSyS, Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Catarina","family":"Bastos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Portugal"}]}],"member":"297","reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1017\/S0021859600077017","article-title":"Grass yield in relation to potassium supply and the concentration of cations in tissue water","volume":"121","author":"Barraclough PB","year":"1993","unstructured":"Barraclough PB, Leigh RA (1993) Grass yield in relation to potassium supply and the concentration of cations in tissue water. 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