New research published in Biology and Fertility of Soils demonstrates that adding biochar to a process known as reductive soil disinfestation (RSD) can dramatically reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil—by nearly 60%.
The study, conducted by researchers from Zhejiang University of Science and Technology and the Education University of Hong Kong, explored how biochar enhances RSD to mitigate soil-based antibiotic resistance. Using advanced molecular tools like high-throughput quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing, the team tracked changes in ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and metal resistance genes (MRGs).
Results showed that applying 1% and 2% biochar during RSD reduced ARGs by 49.4% and 59.5%, respectively. The treatment also suppressed key MGEs such as IS26 and Tn916—genetic components responsible for horizontal gene transfer—and decreased harmful bacterial groups like Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, both identified as major hosts of ARGs.
The findings suggest that biochar not only enhances the natural remediation capacity of RSD but also alters the soil’s microbial community structure to reduce the spread of resistance genes. The 2% biochar treatment (RC2) proved most effective in limiting the transfer and persistence of ARGs.
According to the authors, biochar-enhanced RSD presents a cost-effective, eco-friendly solution for managing antibiotic resistance in agricultural soils while maintaining soil fertility and microbial balance.
Reference
Zhang, R., Gao, Y., Lou, Q., Gong, C., Chen, Y., Liu, M., Zhang, Y., Zhang, C., Shan, S., & Wong, M. H. (2025). Reducing antibiotic resistance genes through biochar-enhanced reductive soil disinfestation. Biology and Fertility of Soils. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-025-01953-x
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