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Impact of microplastic on seed germination and early plant growth of green gram (Vigna radiata L)
Summary
Exposure of green gram (Vigna radiata) seeds to microplastics at concentrations of 0.1–2.0% caused concentration-dependent declines in germination rate, seedling vigor, and early growth, with the highest concentration showing the greatest toxicity. These findings demonstrate that soil microplastic contamination poses a direct threat to crop productivity, with significant implications for food security in agricultural regions where microplastic levels are rising.
Microplastics emerged as a serious threat to both ecosystems and human health due to their persistent and wide distribution in the soil. The plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, have emerged as one of the most pervasive pollutants in modern ecosystems. It is increasingly detected in agricultural soil and how these microplastics affects on plant growth system that has remained poorly understood. India is the one of the top producing country of green gram (Vigna raiata L.) due to its high nutritious value is predominantly cultivated pulse crop. The present investigation was assessed the effect of microplastics in green gram (Vigna radiata L) seedlings growth for different concentration of microplastic (MP) i.e., 0% (control T0),0.1% (T1),0.5% (T2), 1.0%(T3), and 2.0%(T4). The growth response was noticed after 24 hours and results were noted in different time intervals (2, 5, 7 days). The daily germination counts showed a clear decline with increasing microplastic concentration. The growth rate of control seeds (T0) with no MP showed maximum germination, while in 2% MP showed the lowest germination indicating toxicity and physical interference. Seedling Vigor Index reflects the overall health and strength of seedlings, this is declined sharply from T0 control to the highest microplastic concentration T4 with 2.0%. The present study clearly demonstrates that microplastics exert a significant and concentration-dependent negative impact on the germination and early seedling growth of Vigna radiate L. Seeds grown in microplastic contaminated substrates showed reduced germination percentage, delayed radicle emergence, shorter root and shoot lengths, and markedly decreased seedling vigor compared to the control.