For generations, farmers have used natural materials such as lime, gypsum and manure to improve their soil for growing crops. Now, a team of researchers led by the University of Missouri is giving new purpose to an established material — biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from leftover plant waste — and showing how it can address challenges facing today’s cotton growers. Even though biochar has been used in various forms of agriculture for thousands of years, this study focused on how it could help cotton farmers in the delta region of the United States, often called the Mississippi Delta.

A new study uses data from NASA’s PACE satellite to demonstrate a novel method for assessing global plant health. Led by UMBC’s Karl F. Huemmrich, the research leverages PACE’s Ocean Color Instrument to monitor plant responses, as indicated by reflectance from their leaves, to environmental changes like water availability and temperature. Validated against U.S. ground measurements, the technique accurately tracks plant productivity across diverse ecosystems without relying on weather data. The findings will enhance carbon sequestration tracking and early stress detection, offering a cost-effective way to monitor global ecosystems and support conservation and agriculture.