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Microplastics influence on herbicides removal and biosurfactants production by a Bacillus sp. strain active against Fusarium culmorum
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This study found that microplastics in soil reduced the ability of a beneficial Bacillus bacterium to break down common herbicides (metolachlor and 2,4-D) and dramatically cut production of an antifungal compound called iturin by more than 70%. When all three pollutants — microplastics, metolachlor, and 2,4-D — were present together, the bacterium's ability to suppress the crop pathogen Fusarium was also severely weakened. The findings highlight how microplastics in agricultural soils can undermine natural biological defenses against plant disease, with potential knock-on effects for food production.
The amounts of anthropogenic pollutants, e.g., microplastics (MPs) and pesticides, in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have been increasing. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of MPs on the removal of herbicides (metolachlor, MET; 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-D) and the production of biosurfactants (surfactin and iturin) by Bacillus sp. Kol L6 active against Fusarium culmorum. The results showed that Kol L6 eliminated 40-55% MET and 2,4-D from liquid cultures, but this process was inhibited in the presence of MPs. Although the pollutants did not strongly limit the production of surfactin, iturin secretion was found to decrease by more than 70% in the presence of all three pollutants. Interestingly, the strongest modification in the profile of iturin homologues was calculated for the cultures containing MET + MP and 2,4-D + MET + MP. The bacteria significantly limited the growth of the phytopathogenic F. culmorum DSM1094F in the presence of individual pollutants and their two-component mixtures. However, in the presence of all three tested pollutants, the growth of the fungus was limited only partially (by no more than 40%). The presented results are a starting point for further research on bacteria-fungi-plants interactions in the soil environment in the presence of multiple pollutants.
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Researchers tested how the herbicide flumetsulam interacts with polyethylene microplastics in soil and found that both individually and together they reduced bacteria and fungi populations. When microplastics were present alongside the herbicide, the soil bacterial community shifted more dramatically, though carbon and nitrogen cycling remained largely unchanged. The study suggests that the combined presence of herbicides and microplastics in agricultural soil creates distinct effects on microbial life compared to either contaminant alone.
Does Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Decrease the Efficiency of Herbicides for Weed Control?
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Researchers investigated how microplastic contamination in agricultural soils affects herbicide performance. They found that microplastics absorb herbicides onto their surfaces, reducing the chemicals' availability for weed control and slowing their degradation by inhibiting soil microbial activity. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in farmland may undermine herbicide efficacy while increasing the persistence of these chemicals in the environment.
Rhizosphere and endophytic microbiomes as biological buffers against microplastic pollution: Mechanisms and remediation strategies
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles contaminating farm soils, which can harm plants and reduce crop yields by 25 to 50 percent. It describes how certain soil and plant-associated bacteria and fungi, including Pseudomonas and Bacillus, can break down these plastics and help plants cope with the resulting stress.
Combined effects of mulch film-derived microplastics and pesticides on soil microbial communities and element cycling
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Researchers studied how microplastics from agricultural plastic mulch film interact with commonly used pesticides in cotton field soil. When present together, the pesticides had a stronger impact on soil bacteria than the microplastics alone, and the combination disrupted important nutrient cycling processes for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This matters because farmland contaminated with both microplastics and pesticides may experience compounding damage to soil health, ultimately affecting food production.
Adaptation of the metolachlor-degrading fungus Trichoderma harzianum to the simultaneous presence of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics
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When LDPE microplastics and the herbicide metolachlor were both present in soil, the soil fungus Trichoderma harzianum showed altered membrane lipid composition but continued to break down the herbicide at normal rates. This suggests that while microplastics can stress soil microorganisms, they may not always impair the soil's ability to degrade agricultural chemicals — an important finding for understanding how plastic pollution affects farmland ecosystem function.
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