Rhizosphere Microbiome Mediates the Resistance of Invasive Plants to Biodegradable and Conventional Microplastics

Microplastic Alters Rhizosphere Microbiome: A Review

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Researchers review how microplastic accumulation in soil disrupts the rhizosphere microbiome — the community of beneficial microorganisms surrounding plant roots — impairing nutrient uptake and pathogen resistance in ways that could threaten agricultural productivity and soil ecosystem health.

Soil Microplastic Pollution Enhances Plant Invasions by Restructuring Native – Invasive Competitive Interactions

Rhizosphere Keystone Microbiomes Promote Invasive Plant Growth under PLA and PVC Microplastic Stress: A Comparative Study with Native Species

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Researchers compared how invasive and native plant species respond to soil contaminated with biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics. Invasive plants experienced less growth inhibition and selectively enriched beneficial bacteria in their root zones, forming more stable microbial networks. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may inadvertently give invasive species a competitive advantage over native plants.

Micro, Nano, and Biodegradable Plastics: Hidden Threats to Plant Health and Soil Function

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Researchers reviewed how microplastics, nanoplastics, and biodegradable plastic particles disrupt plant health and soil function in agroecosystems, finding that these contaminants impair nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, and redox balance while inducing oxidative stress, genotoxic effects, and soil property degradation with food safety implications.

The regulated effects of phosphorus addition on rhizosphere microecology under microplastic pollution: a comparison based on different plant types

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A pot experiment found that polyethylene microplastics and phosphorus fertilizers interact in crop-specific ways, altering root growth and soil moisture differently in wheat versus maize. Understanding these interactions matters because microplastic contamination in farmland soils could undermine fertilizer strategies and threaten crop productivity.