Smarter Soil Insights for Better Biochar Decisions

In 2026, AgroNet ZERO continued its research on how soil data can be used to better identify where biochar is most likely to deliver meaningful results in the field.

This phase of our work focused on improving a public USDA soil screening tool called the Biochar Response Score. The tool is designed to help identify soils that may respond well to biochar, but we wanted to better understand where it works well, where it leaves gaps, and how it could become more useful in real-world decision-making.

What We Did

During this phase of the project, we focused on understanding how the current score works and what could make it stronger. Specifically, we:

• reviewed how the USDA tool currently evaluates potential biochar response

• compared its logic with findings from published biochar research

• examined which soil factors are already included and which important ones may be missing

• looked at why many soils are currently left unrated

• identified practical ways the score could be improved while keeping it clear and easy to use

What We Learned

We found that the current tool is built on a strong starting point, but it does not yet reflect the full range of conditions that shape how biochar performs.

Our research showed that:

• the tool does a good job capturing several of the main conditions where biochar can help

• some important factors are not clearly included, such as drainage, salinity, rooting conditions, and local climate

• many soils are marked as unrated simply because some required data are missing

• biochar response is often influenced by a combination of conditions, not just one factor at a time

• a more complete and better-documented scoring approach could make the tool more useful for farmers, land managers, and conservation planners

Why It Matters

This research is an important step toward a future where:

• farmers and land managers have better guidance on where biochar is most likely to work

• public soil tools are more practical, more transparent, and easier to trust

• regenerative inputs are matched more carefully to actual field conditions

• soil improvement decisions are supported by stronger science and better data

Ultimately, this work supports AgroNet ZERO’s mission to build a decision-driven marketplace for regenerative inputs, where science, soil data, and real-world farming needs come together to help apply the right input, in the right place, for the right outcome.