The experiment evaluated the effects of different treatments on the growth and development of Zea mays plants. The treatments included T1 (control), T2 (7 Days of drought stress), T3 (14 Days of drought stress), T4 (7 Days of drought stress + biochar), and T5 (14 Days of drought stress + biochar). The plant parameters measured were shoot length, root length, leaf length, leaf width, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, leaf fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, leaf dry weight, growth parameters (GP), growth efficiency (GE), growth rate index (GRI), metabolic efficiency (MET), vigor index (VI), final growth percentage (FGP), final efficiency percentage (FEP), absolute growth rate (ABG), relative growth rate (RSR), and leaf area ratio (LAR). The results indicated that T2 had the most significant impact on plant growth and development, with the smallest values recorded for shoot length, root length, leaf length, leaf width, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and growth parameters (GP, GE, GRI, MET, VI). However, the addition of biochar (T4 and T5) helped to alleviate the negative effects of drought stress on plant growth, as evidenced by the higher values recorded for some parameters such as shoot length, root length, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area ratio (LAR). The growth efficiency (GE) was generally highest in T3, while T5 recorded the highest values for final growth percentage (FGP), final efficiency percentage (FEP), absolute growth rate (ABG), and relative growth rate (RSR). In conclusion, the addition of biochar can be an effective means of mitigating the negative effects of drought stress on plant growth, with the optimal duration of drought stress being 14 Days. The data obtained from this study provides a basis for further research on the potential use of biochar in agriculture as a means of promoting sustainable crop growth and development under conditions of water scarcity.

Index Terms- Abiotic Stress, Drought Stress, Biochar, Morphological Parameters, Zea mays.