Rhizobia are frequently used in the agriculture sector to enhance legume growth and improve soil fertility. There is growing interest in utilizing biological nitrogen fixation as a means of increasing the potential for sustainable intensification of food production whilst simultaneously reducing environmental damage caused by overuse of chemical fertilisers. Biochar, a recalcitrant carbon-rich product of pyrolysis which may be added to soil as a fertilizer or as a soil improver, alters soil physico-chemical properties usually by acting as a liming agent, by increasing water holding capacity or by modifying cation exchange capacity. The effects of biochar on the soil microbial community are not fully understood. Therefore, the main aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of biochar on the Rhizobium-legume relationship and determine whether biochar could increase legume growth. To achieve this aim, a series of growth experiments were carried out under controlled conditions .....

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