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Soil microbiome patterns across a long-term plastic-mulching chronosequence in blueberry orchards
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Researchers found that using plastic mulch (a common farming technique to control weeds and retain moisture) for many years in blueberry orchards changes the soil's microbial life, shifts nutrient levels, and leads to microplastic buildup in the dirt where our food grows. While this study didn't directly test effects on human health, it adds to growing evidence that plastic-based farming methods can introduce microplastics into agricultural soil, raising questions about whether these particles could eventually make their way into the food we eat.
Plastic mulching is widely used in fruit production to improve weed control and soil moisture conservation; however, its long-term associations with soil microbial communities remain poorly understood under field conditions. This study evaluated relationships between the duration of plastic mulch use and soil bacterial and fungal diversity, community structure, enzymatic activity, nutrient availability, and MPs abundance in blueberry orchards. Soil samples were collected from orchards representing a chronological sequence of mulch use (6, 11, 16, and 21 years). Microbial communities were characterized using the 16 S rRNA gene and ITS region, enzymatic activities were quantified, and microplastics were extracted by density separation. Fungal trophic modes were predicted from ITS taxonomic assignments using FUNGuild. Prokaryotic Shannon diversity was highest at 6 years and lowest at 21 years (P < 0.05), whereas richness (Chao1) peaked at 11 years and declined at 21. Fungal diversity and richness also declined under long-term mulching, with Shannon diversity decreasing at 11 and 21 years, and Chao1 richness showing its lowest value after 21 years. Beta-diversity analyses revealed differences in the microbial community structure across the chronosequence. Long-term mulching was associated with increased basal soil respiration and acid phosphatase, urease, and β-glucosidase activities, whereas dehydrogenase activity peaked at 16 years and then declined. Available nitrate, Olsen P, and K decreased with mulch duration, whereas soil organic matter and pH increased. MPs abundance was highest after 16 years of mulch use (P < 0.05), whereas the 6-, 11-, and 21-year orchards did not differ significantly from one another. Predicted trophic-mode patterns were nonmonotonic and did not show a progressive shift toward pathotrophy with increasing mulch-use duration. Prolonged plastic mulching was associated with changes in soil microbial diversity, community structure, enzymatic activity, nutrient availability, and microplastic accumulation in blueberry orchards.
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