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Metallic micronutrients mitigate herbicide–microplastic stress on soil microbial functions in cornfields
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Herbicides and microplastics in farm soil team up to weaken helpful soil microbes that keep nutrient cycles running, which matters because healthy soil microbes support the fertility needed to grow our food, including corn. The good news: this study found that adding zinc, a common micronutrient, can help protect these microbes from the combined damage, offering a simple, practical way to keep farmland soil healthier as microplastic pollution continues to rise.
Both herbicides and microplastics disrupt microbial functions in soils, but the pathways through which metallic micronutrients alleviate such disturbances are poorly understood. A nationwide survey in cornfields was conducted to reveal relationships among pollutants, micronutrients and microbial functions, followed by field experiments to verify the mitigating effects of these micronutrients. The survey demonstrated that acetochlor, atrazine and fiber-microplastics were negatively correlated with the functional genes nirS, cbbL and phoD, whereas soil pH was positively correlated with these genes. Structural modeling (SEM) indicated that fiber-shaped microplastics synergistically amplified the suppressive effects of atrazine and acetochlor on cbbL and phoD abundances, primarily through nirS downregulation, soil pH decline, and reduced microbial diversity. Consistently, field experiments showed that the herbicide thiencarbazone-methyl·isoxaflutole, when combined with biodegradable microplastics, inhibited nirS expression, thereby decreasing the abundances of cbbL and phoD. SEM analysis based on the survey suggested that zinc supplementation exerted an antagonistic effect against combined contamination by elevating nirS abundance. This mitigation effect was further verified by field variance analysis, which showed that zinc addition significantly enhanced nirS and cbbL abundances. Overall, this study provides a targeted strategy for alleviating the combined suppressive impacts of herbicides and microplastics on soil microbial functions during maize production.
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Synergistic fungal consortia enhance maize growth and soil biological functions under microplastic stress
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Microplastics from plastic pollution are building up in farm soils and, according to this study, can stunt corn growth by damaging plant cells and disrupting the soil's nutrient balance. The good news: adding a combo of two beneficial soil fungi helped plants better cope with this stress, boosting growth and restoring soil health. This matters because healthier soil and crops mean more reliable food production as microplastic pollution continues to spread in farmland worldwide.
Synergistic fungal consortia enhance maize growth and soil biological functions under microplastic stress
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny plastic particles from bottles and packaging (called microplastics) are building up in farm soil and can stunt crop growth, damaging plants like corn at the cellular level. This study found that adding two natural, beneficial fungi to the soil together helped corn plants resist this plastic-induced stress much better than either fungus alone, offering a promising, low-tech way to protect crops—and ultimately our food supply—as microplastic pollution spreads through farmland.
Synergistic fungal consortia enhance maize growth and soil biological functions under microplastic stress
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny plastic particles from packaging waste (microplastics) are building up in farm soil, and this study found they stunt corn plant growth, damage roots, and throw off the soil's natural balance—raising concerns about crop yields and food supply. The good news: researchers found that adding a combo of two beneficial fungi to the soil helped plants fight off this plastic-related stress, offering a natural, low-tech way to protect crops as microplastic pollution spreads through farmland. While this study focused on corn plants rather than direct human health effects, it points to a promising tool for keeping our food supply resilient in an increasingly plast
Straw return counteracted constraints caused by microplastics and enhanced soil multifunctionality by regulating microbial diversity and function
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Tiny plastic bits from farm plastics can harm soil health, weakening the microbes that help crops grow and absorb nutrients—which matters because that's the soil growing the food we eat. This study found that returning crop leftovers (like corn stalks) to the soil can largely reverse this damage by feeding beneficial microbes and restoring their function, offering a simple, low-cost way farmers could fight back against plastic pollution in our food supply.
Fertilization Mitigates Polyethylene Microplastic-Induced Disruptions in Plant Growth and Soil Microbial Processes in Agricultural Soil
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Tiny plastic bits from farm plastics and packaging waste are building up in soil and can harm plant growth and helpful soil microbes. This study found that fertilizing crops can help offset that damage, which matters because healthier soil means safer, more reliable food, and less plastic potentially working its way into what we eat.
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