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Article History

Received: 28 April 2026

Accepted: 30 July 2026

First Online: 9 August 2026

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate: Sweet pepper plants used in this study were commercially cultivated materials and their collection and use complied with relevant local and institutional guidelines. No wild plant species were collected, and no special permits or licenses were required for this study. The biochar used was a commercially produced material derived from wood biomass, and its source, manufacturer, and location have been provided in the manuscript.

Consent of publication: Informed consent for publication was obtained from the individual participant visible in Fig. 1. The individual pictured is an author of this study and has explicitly consented to the publication of their identifiable image in this manuscript.

Disclaimer: Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.