Novel Strategy for Alleviating Imazethapyr Phytotoxicity in Subsequent Wheat Seedlings: Insights into Multifunctional Mechanisms of Phosphorus-Doped Biochar

作者：Jiawen Li, Haonan Zhang, Congling Xu, Qingqing Fan, Xiaoxia Xing, Yong Yang, Caixia Wang, Qingming Zhang · 发表于：ACS Agricultural Science & Technology · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1021/acsagscitech.6c00535 · 研究领域：Pesticide and Herbicide Environmental Studies、Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants、Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology

Abstract Imazethapyr is a widely used persistent herbicide that causes severe phytotoxicity to rotational crops and threatens soil ecosystem health and agricultural sustainability. Although pristine biochar has been explored for pesticide-contaminated soil remediation, its low adsorption capacity and limited efficiency restrict practical application. Phosphorus (P)-doped biochar exhibits enhanced sorption ability toward organic pollutants, yet its effects and mechanisms in alleviating imazethapyr-induced soil toxicity remain largely unknown. This study systematically compared the remediation performance of P-doped corn straw biochar (PBC-500) and pristine biochar (BC-500) in imazethapyr-contaminated soil using a multimethod approach including herbicide residue analysis, wheat seedling growth assessment, soil microbial community profiling, and wheat root metabolomics. Results showed that by day 4 of the incubation, PBC-500 reduced imazethapyr concentrations in soil and pore water by 82.3%, significantly higher than the 46.1% reduction achieved by BC-500. PBC-500 effectively mitigated herbicide-induced phytotoxicity, improved wheat growth and chlorophyll content, and suppressed ROS (reactive oxygen species) accumulation. It was also associated with stabilization of the soil microbial community structure and changes of root metabolic pathways. Metabolomic analysis further showed that PBC-500 alleviated specific imazethapyr-induced metabolic perturbations at the pathway level bas...