Biochar Boosts Pepper Yield and Soil Health in Protected Continuous Cropping Systems in China

Protected cultivation of pepper in southern China’s red soil region often leads to soil degradation and continuous cropping obstacles. To investigate whether biochar can alleviate these problems by regulating the soil microenvironment, pot and incubation experiments were conducted from 2021 to 2023 with biochar application rates of 0~10% (w/w). The results showed that appropriate biochar application significantly improved pepper yield and soil quality. Under the 6% biochar treatment, pepper yiel