Combined application of Eucalyptus-derived biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improves growth, nutrient acquisition, antioxidant responses, and drought tolerance in Cicer arietinum.

Combined Eucalyptus-derived biochar plus arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi most strongly alleviated drought damage in Cicer arietinum, restoring growth, nutrient uptake, and antioxidant defenses.

• Why it matters: Drought sharply reduces growth, photosynthesis, nutrient acquisition, nodulation, and mycorrhizal colonization in Cicer arietinum, limiting nitrogen assimilation and stress protection.
• What they did: Plants were grown with biochar, AMF, or both under normal and drought conditions, then assessed growth, photosynthetic performance, water status, membrane stability, antioxidant enzymes, nutrient levels, and mycorrhizal colonization.
• The result: Under drought, the combined treatment improved chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate, relative water content, membrane stability, antioxidant enzyme activity, N and P concentrations, nodulation, leghemoglobin, and nitrate reductase activity, while also enhancing mycorrhizal establishment.

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