Abstract
Biochar application can enhance soil health and alter soil bacterial community structure. However, knowledge relating to biochar on soil nutrients of mountainous apple orchards and then assessing its effect on soil health, especially on soil microorganisms, is still scanty. Therefore, we evaluated the responses of six biochar treatments [Ck (0), T1 (2), T2 (4), T3 (6), T4 (8), and T5 (10) Mg hm−2] with a basal dose of chemical fertilizer on the soil nutrients under potted apple trees across 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, and then investigated the responses of the rhizobacterial communities. Experimental findings demonstrated that: (i) Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%). (ii) Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%). Similarly, the relative abundance of the bacterial genera in the T5 was Sphingomonas (8.23%) followed by RB41 (3.81%), Ellin6055 (3.42%), Lachnospiracea (1.61%), Bacillus (1.43%), Kineosporia (1.37%), Massilia (0.84%), and Odoribacter (0.34%) than the control. (iii) Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the soil nutrients and some of the abundant bacterial phyla. Overall, the findings of this research demonstrated that biochar application at 10 Mg hm−2 (T5) along with the required chemical fertilizer is beneficial to improve soil health and pave the way for sustainable production in apple orchards of the northern loess plateau.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced soil pH by 2.12 to 2.29% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- soil pHe0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 2.12 to 2.29%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced soil organic matter by 35 to 40% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- soil organic mattere0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 35 to 40%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced total nitrogen by 59 to 65% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- total nitrogene0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 59 to 65%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced ammonium nitrogen by 25 to 33% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- ammonium nitrogene0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 25 to 33%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced nitrate nitrogen by 163 to 169% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- nitrate nitrogene0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 163 to 169%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced urease by 76 to 81% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- ureasee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 76 to 81%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced alkaline phosphatase by 30 to 33% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- alkaline phosphatasee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 30 to 33%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced catalase by 8.89 to 11.70% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- catalasee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 8.89 to 11.70%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 enhanced sucrase by 23 to 29% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- sucrasee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Value
- 23 to 29%e0
- Qualifier
- Across the monthse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Across the months, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) compared to the control significantly enhanced soil nutrients, including soil pH (2.12 to 2.29%), soil organic matter (35 to 40%), total nitrogen (59 to 65%), ammonium nitrogen (25 to 33%), nitrate nitrogen (163 to 169%), and the activities of urease (76 to 81%), alkaline phosphatase (30 to 33%), catalase (8.89 to 11.70%), and sucrase (23 to 29%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Proteobacteria relative abundance of 35.47% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Interactor
- ProteobacteriaPseudomonadotae0symbiont
- Outcome
- relative abundancee0
- Direction
- more desirablee0
- Value
- 35.47%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Actinobacteria relative abundance of 8.59% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Interactor
- ActinobacteriaActinomycetotae0symbiont
- Outcome
- relative abundancee0
- Direction
- more desirablee0
- Value
- 8.59%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Firmicutes relative abundance of 5.74% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- relative abundancee0
- Direction
- more desirablee0
- Value
- 5.74%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Bacteroidota relative abundance of 2.77% compared with control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Interactor
- BacteroidotaBacteroidotae0symbiont
- Outcome
- relative abundancee0
- Direction
- more desirablee0
- Value
- 2.77%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Compared to the control, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) had a more desirable relative abundance of the bacterial phylum Proteobacteria (35.47%), followed by Actinobacteria (8.59%), Firmicutes (5.74%), and Bacteroidota (2.77%).”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Chao1 index of 20% relative to control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- Chao1e0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 20%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control.”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had ACE index of 19.23% relative to control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- ACEe0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 19.23%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control.”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Shannon index of 1.63% relative to control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- Shannone0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 1.63%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control.”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Simpson index of 1.02% relative to control.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- biochar-applied treatment (T5)e0
- Outcome
- Simpsone0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 1.02%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Among the alpha diversity, the biochar-applied treatment (T5) revealed the highest Chao1 (20%) and ACE (19.23%) indexes, while Shannon (1.63%) and Simpson (1.02%) had relatively lower indexes than the control.”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil nutrients correlated positively with abundant bacterial phyla.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Interactor
- bacterial phylae0symbiont
- Outcome
- soil nutrientse0
- Direction
- positive correlationse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“positive correlations were found between the soil nutrients and some of the abundant bacterial phyla”
t0“Apple Trees”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors favor biochar at 10 Mg hm−2 with chemical fertilizer for orchard soil health.
- Taxon
- apple
Malus domesticae0 - Treatment
- biochar application at 10 Mg hm−2 (T5)e0
- Outcome
- improve soil healthe0
- Setting
- northern loess plateaue0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“biochar application at 10 Mg hm−2 (T5) along with the required chemical fertilizer is beneficial to improve soil health and pave the way for sustainable production in apple orchards of the northern loess plateau”
Claim · model-written summary
T5 had Sphingomonas relative abundance of 8.23%.
- Taxon
- Apple Trees
Malus domesticat0 - Treatment
- T5e0
- Interactor
- Sphingomonas
Sphingomonase0symbiont - Outcome
- relative abundancee0
- Value
- 8.23%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.


Verbatim
e0“the relative abundance of the bacterial genera in the T5 was Sphingomonas (8.23%) followed by RB41 (3.81%), Ellin6055 (3.42%), Lachnospiracea (1.61%), Bacillus (1.43%), Kineosporia (1.37%), Massilia (0.84%), and Odoribacter (0.34%) than the control”
t0“Apple Trees”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.