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Drought Amplifies Polymer-Specific Microplastic Toxicity in Maize by Reshaping Soil-Plant-Microbe Interactions
Summary
Scientists found that when maize (corn) plants face drought stress, tiny plastic particles in the soil make things worse—especially "biodegradable" plastics, which surprisingly caused even more harm to plant growth and soil health than regular plastic. This matters because as microplastics build up in farmland and droughts become more common with climate change, our food crops could become less productive and nutritious, and "eco-friendly" plastic alternatives may not be as safe for soil as marketed.
Microplastics and drought are important costressors in agricultural systems, yet their polymer-specific interactions in soil-plant-microbe systems remain insufficiently understood. This study compared the effects of polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable poly(butylene adipate- co -terephthalate) (PBAT) on maize under drought. Drought reduced maize biomass (59.5%) and gas exchange (transpiration by 36%, stomatal conductance by 80%). MPs intensified these effects, particularly under PBAT, where transpiration declined by 86% and biomass reduction reached 81%. Under drought, PBAT also enhanced oxidative stress. In soil nitrogen dynamics, PBAT increased nitrate under drought by 16%, reflecting enhanced nitrification and reduced plant N uptake linked to microbial responses to biodegradable carbon inputs, whereas PE showed no such increase. Both MPs suppressed urease activity, indicating disrupted N transformation. Rhizosphere metabolomics and microbial analyses revealed shifts in carbon metabolism and drought-tolerant microbial taxa under combined stress. Overall, drought was the dominant stressor, while polymer type modulated soil-plant-microbe interactions and stress responses.