Seashells and coconut char: A coastal recipe for super-compost

Hainan University researchers develop a calcium-modified biochar that speeds up waste recycling and creates nutrient-rich soil

2026-02-11

(Press-News.org) In the lush landscapes of tropical agriculture, two waste products—oyster shells from the sea and coconut shells from the trees—are being combined to solve a major headache for farmers: how to turn animal manure into high-quality compost faster and more effectively. A study recently published in Carbon Research reveals that a unique "Ca-modified biochar" can act as a powerful catalyst for the composting process. Developed by a research team at Hainan University, this new material helps transform pig manure and rice straw into stable, nutrient-rich humus, significantly boosting the quality of the final fertilizer.

The research was spearheaded by corresponding authors Shanshuai Chen and Pingshan Fan. Their work bridges the College of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry and the School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication) at Hainan University. By utilizing local agricultural and fishery byproducts, the team has created a circular economy solution that is both practical and environmentally friendly. "Composting is nature's way of recycling, but it can be slow and inefficient," explain the researchers. "By adding biochar modified with oyster shells, we are essentially giving the beneficial microbes a high-performance workspace. This leads to more stable organic matter and a product that is much safer and more beneficial for plants."

The Driver of Humification:

The Perfect Blend: The team pyrolyzed coconut shells and oyster shells together at 600 °C. This process allowed calcium from the shells to bond with the carbon structure, creating a material rich in carboxyl and carbonyl groups that help hold the compost together. Better for Seeds: Compost treated with this modified biochar saw a nearly 19% increase in the Seed Germination Index (GI). This means the resulting compost is less toxic to young plants and more effective at supporting growth. Microbial Super-Boost: The addition of the modified biochar led to a 107% increase in specific bacteria like Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. These "specialized microbial communities" are experts at breaking down tough materials like lignin and converting them into stable humus. Chemical Transformation: Spectroscopy and matrix analysis showed that the biochar helped shift protein-like molecules into stable humic acids, increasing the overall humification of organic matter by about 5% compared to standard composting. This innovation from Hainan University is particularly significant for tropical regions where agricultural waste management is a priority. By improving the "humification" process—the conversion of raw waste into stable soil organic matter—this research helps prevent nitrogen loss and reduces the environmental footprint of livestock farming. The findings provide a scalable and sustainable blueprint for industrial-scale composting facilities. As the world moves toward greener farming practices, the work of Shanshuai Chen, Pingshan Fan, and their colleagues at Hainan University demonstrates that the best solutions for the land often come from a creative mix of the land and the sea.

Corresponding Authors:

Shanshuai Chen

College of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry / School of Breeding and Multiplication, Hainan University, China.

Pingshan Fan

School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan University, Sanya, China.

===

Journal reference: He, J., Li, L., Shi, Y. et al. Oyster shell-functionalized biochar enhanced compost humification during the co-composting of pig manure with rice straw. Carbon Res. 5, 7 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-025-00249-x

===

About Carbon Research

The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.

Follow us on Facebook, X, and Bluesky.

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Feeding biochar to cattle may help lock carbon in soil and cut agricultural emissions

2026-02-11

Researchers have found that most biochar fed to dairy cows survives the digestive process and remains highly stable, meaning it could be applied to fields through manure and act as a long-term carbon storage solution. The findings provide new evidence that livestock systems could play a role in climate change mitigation. The study, recently published in Biochar, investigated what happens to biochar after it passes through the digestive system of cattle. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced ...

Researchers identify best strategies to cut air pollution and improve fertilizer quality during composting

2026-02-11

Scientists have uncovered practical strategies that can significantly reduce harmful air pollution from composting while improving the quality of organic fertilizers. The findings, based on a large global meta-analysis, provide new evidence to help farmers, waste managers, and policymakers adopt climate-smart composting practices. The research, published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes, analyzed data from 135 scientific studies and 1,683 experimental observations worldwide. The study evaluated how different ...

International research team solves mystery behind rare clotting after adenoviral vaccines or natural adenovirus infection

2026-02-11

A global research collaboration of scientists from McMaster University (Canada), Flinders University (Australia) and Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (Germany) uncovered why a small number of people developed dangerous blood clots after either receiving certain COVID‑19 vaccines or experiencing a natural adenovirus infection, and the answer lies in an unexpected case of misdirected targeting by the immune system. The discovery, published Feb. 12, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine, explains ...

The most common causes of maternal death may surprise you

2026-02-11

NEW YORK, NY--Researchers at Columbia University have found that accidental drug overdose, homicide, and suicide are the leading causes of death among pregnant and postpartum women. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “Overdose and violence are not typically on our radar when it comes to thinking about approaches to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, but these events are far more common among pregnant and postpartum women than we think,” says Hooman Azad, who led the study and is a maternal-fetal medicine fellow ...

A new roadmap spotlights aging as key to advancing research in Parkinson’s disease

2026-02-11

Even though aging is the largest risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, the majority of research aimed at taming the incurable neurodegenerative motor disease has largely left aging out of the mix. A group of researchers from around the globe seek to change that. “Unraveling the intersection of aging and Parkinson’s disease: a collaborative road map for advancing research models,” is now available online at the Nature publication npj Parkinson’s Disease. The vast majority ...

Research alert: Airborne toxins trigger a unique form of chronic sinus disease in veterans

2026-02-11

Researchers at the University of California San Diego and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System have identified a distinct biological pattern of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a chronic respiratory illness frequently associated with exposure to airborne toxins, such as wildfire smoke and military burn pits. The research team, led by first author and UC San Diego Assistant Professor of Medicine Xinyu "Steve" Wang, MD, PhD, found that veterans with CRS who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins show a marked increase in sinus ...

University of Houston professor elected to National Academy of Engineering

2026-02-11

University of Houston engineering professor Venkat Selvamanickam has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors awarded to engineers worldwide. Selvamanickam is the M.D. Anderson Chair Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and director of the Advanced Manufacturing Institute at the UH Cullen College of Engineering. He was recognized for his cutting-edge contributions to industrial-scale advanced manufacturing processes for high-temperature superconductor wires ...

UVM develops new framework to transform national flood prediction

2026-02-11

When severe weather strikes, the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Office of Water Prediction (OWP) makes critical flood forecasts with the National Water Model. Despite improvements over time, the model’s performance has plateaued in recent years, leaving researchers from the federal government, academia, and private industry searching for a better solution. Now a new set of software tools, the Next Generation Water Resources Modeling framework, or NextGen, will help develop better predictions. As detailed in a new study led by OWP and the University ...

Study pairs key air pollutants with home addresses to track progression of lost mobility through disability

2026-02-11

ANN ARBOR—A University of Michigan study has taken a fine-grained, long-term look at residential-area air pollution and how it relates to deteriorating mobility—and hindered recovery—for older Americans. By pairing and comparing the mobility and disability experiences of 29,790 participants in the national Health and Retirement Study with air quality exposures over 10 years, a team of veteran environmental health researchers found that people with long-term exposures were at greater risk of progressing from no physical function limitations to states of more physical function limitations ...

Keeping your mind active throughout life associated with lower Alzheimer’s risk

2026-02-11

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026 Highlights: New research shows that people who engage in lifelong learning such as reading, writing and learning languages have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and slower cognitive decline. The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s; it only shows an association. The study looked at 1,939 adults, examining cognitive enrichment including access to atlases and newspapers as children and having library cards in middle age. People in the ...