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Soil Properties and Microbial Community Assemblages in Response to Plastic Film Mulches with Divergent Degradation Characteristics
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A field experiment in southern China found that biodegradable PBAT+PLA mulch film degraded faster and improved long-term soil organic matter compared to conventional polyethylene film, though it caused greater temperature fluctuation. This supports the case for biodegradable mulch films as a strategy to reduce soil microplastic accumulation from agricultural plastic use, which is one of the largest sources of terrestrial microplastic pollution.
To identify a suitable plastic film type for broccoli cultivation in the subtropical humid region of southern China, a field experiment was conducted with four treatments, including no film control (CK), reinforced polyethylene film (RF), biodegradable film PBAT + starch (BDF1), and biodegradable film PBAT + PLA (BDF2). Soil physiochemical properties, temperature and humidity dynamics, microbial community structure, and film degradation status were investigated. The results showed that the RF treatment improved available P and K contents, while the BDF2 treatment significantly increased soil organic matter, NH4+-N, water-soluble Ca2+, and Mg2+ contents. The soil temperature followed the order of RF > BDF1 > BDF2 > CK, and the humidity was BDF1 > RF > CK > BDF2, with RF treatment showing a more stable soil temperature, while BDF2 treatment fluctuated the most. There were no significant differences in bacterial diversity among the treatments, while the highest fungal diversity was observed in the BDF2. Water-soluble Mg was the key factor driving the changes in microbial community structure (p < 0.05). The film degradation rate followed BDF2 > BDF1 > RF. Collectively, RF is suitable for targeting short-term yield improvement, while BDF2 has significant advantages in sustainable cultivation in the long-term.
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Long-term use of biodegradable mulch film was compared to conventional plastic and no-mulch controls in terms of soil physical, chemical, and microbial properties, with results showing that biodegradable mulch altered soil structure and microbial diversity in ways differing from both conventional plastic and bare soil. The findings raise questions about the cumulative effects of biodegradable plastic residues on agricultural soil health.
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