After a day of soil harvesting for analysis from biochar treated plots and control plots (with no biochar), from left are ARS Researchers Dr. Evan Terrell, Jean Beacorn, and former ARS Research Chemist Dr. Isabel Lima. (Photo by Srinivas Pinnamaneni).

Improving Yields for Cotton Growers

ARS researchers in New Orleans, LA, have found a new way to enrich soils and boost cotton yields – with sugar. Specifically, the biochar, or burned residue of sugarcane byproducts from sugar mills, turns out to be rich in carbon and very beneficial to plants in fields where it is applied.  

Cotton fields treated with biochar saw up to a 22% increase in lint yield, and up to 13% increase in cotton seed yield after 3 years. Learn more...

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.