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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426964
Research Project: Strategies to Manage Feed Nutrients, Reduce Gas Emissions, and Promote Soil Health for Beef and Dairy Cattle Production Systems of the Southern Great Plains

Location: Livestock Nutrient Management Research

Title: Impact of cotton byproduct biochar on soil dry aggregates and associated organic compounds in dryland cotton cropping systems

Author
item BRANDANI, CAROLINA - Texas A&M Agrilife
item CHAPMAN, TAMARA - West Texas A & M University
item PATIL, SWATI - Texas A&M Agrilife
item Ortiz, Anna
item Koziel, Jacek
item HOWELL, NATHAN - West Texas A & M University
item BEDNARZ, CRAIG - West Texas A & M University
item AUVERMANN, BRENT - Texas A&M Agrilife

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2025
Publication Date: 11/10/2025
Citation: Brandani, C., Chapman, T., Patil, S., Ortiz, A.C., Koziel, J.A., Howell, N., Bednarz, C., Auvermann, B. 2025. Impact of cotton byproduct biochar on soil dry aggregates and associated organic compounds in dryland cotton cropping systems [abstract]. CANVAS. Paper No. 166253.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: As cotton production expands into the Texas Panhandle, large quantities of cotton gin trash, a lignocellulose-rich byproduct, are generated with no current value-added applications. This biomass represents a low-cost feedstock for biochar production via pyrolysis, a process that converts organic material into a stable, carbon-rich product under low-oxygen conditions. This study evaluated the effects of cotton gin trash-derived biochar on soil properties in dryland cotton systems, including conventional cotton and cotton with wheat or rye cover crops. Specifically, we assessed changes in soil aggregate stability, carbon concentration, and carbon quality (via FTIR) across aggregate size classes. After 517 days, application of 20 t/ha biochar increased mean weight diameter by 100% (p < 0.05). The same rate also resulted in an average 0.7% and 1% increase in carbon concentration within small and microaggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) (p < 0.05) after 139 and 516 days of application, respectively, while non-biochar application and 4.33 t/ha of biochar were statistically similar over the same time. FTIR analysis indicated that 20 t/ha biochar reduced organic matter transformation over time, enhancing chemical stability, particularly in cotton-wheat cover crop systems. These findings suggest that cotton gin trash-derived biochar can improve soil structure and carbon persistence in semi-arid cotton production systems.