Residual Effect of Microbial-Inoculated Biochar with Nitrogen on Rice Growth and Salinity Reduction in Paddy Soil.

Increasing soil and water salinity threatens global agriculture, particularly affecting rice. This study investigated the residual effects of microbial biochar and nitrogen fertilizer in mitigating salt stress in paddy soil and regulating the biochemical characteristics of rice plants. Two rice varieties, Shuang Liang You 138 (SLY138), a salt-tolerant, and Jing Liang You 534 (JLY534), a salt-sensitive, were grown under 0.4 ds/m EC (S0) and 6.84 ds/m EC (S1) in a glass house under controlled conditions. Three types of biochar-rice straw biochar (BC), fungal biochar (BF), and bacterial biochar (BB)-were applied alongside two nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates (60 kg ha