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Silicon regulates microplastic-induced phytotoxicity and its detoxification mechanism: A plant-microbe perspective
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Researchers investigated whether silicon supplements could protect kale from the harmful effects of polyethylene microplastics in soil. They found that silicon increased plant biomass by 16-25% and reversed microplastic-induced suppression of soil enzymes, while also promoting beneficial soil bacteria. The study suggests that silicon could be a practical strategy for improving crop resilience in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils.
Microplastics (MP) threaten agricultural ecosystems by altering soil properties and plant-microbe interactions. This study examined polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP) and silicon (Si) effects on kale growth, soil enzymes, and rhizosphere microbiota. PE-MP reduced kale shoot and root biomass by 11 % and 27 %, respectively, and shifted soil properties (e.g., increased pH, decreased potassium). Si increased biomass by 16 % (shoot) and 25 % (root) versus CK and alleviated PE-MP-induced enzyme inhibition. PE-MP suppressed carbon-cycle enzymes (sucrase, S-β-glucosidase) but enhanced nitrogen-cycle enzymes (urease, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase). Si restored sucrase and boosted alkaline phosphatase activity. PE-MP enriched stress-tolerant Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, while Si promoted beneficial taxa (e.g., Sphingomonas) and mitigated declines in Acidobacteriota and Gemmatimonadota. Co-occurrence networks linked bacterial ASVs to plant physiology, showing Si enhances microbial interactions for nutrient cycling. Si mitigates PE-MP stress via microbial restructuring and enzyme regulation, offering strategies for crop resilience in contaminated soils.
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Silicon alleviates the toxicity of microplastics on kale by regulating hormones, phytochemicals, ascorbate-glutathione cycling, and photosynthesis
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Researchers found that microplastic pollution inhibits the growth of kale by disrupting its photosynthesis, hormone regulation, and antioxidant defenses. However, adding silicon to the soil helped protect the plants by strengthening their natural stress-response systems, suggesting silicon could be a practical strategy for growing safer food in microplastic-contaminated soils.
Selenium alleviates the adverse effects of microplastics on kale by regulating photosynthesis, redox homeostasis, secondary metabolism and hormones
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Researchers found that treating soil with selenium could protect kale plants from the harmful effects of microplastic contamination. Microplastics triggered damaging oxidative stress in the plants, but selenium helped restore the balance by boosting antioxidant defenses, improving photosynthesis, and regulating plant hormones. This suggests selenium supplementation could help maintain food crop health in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils.
Mitigation of microplastic toxicity in soybean by synthetic bacterial community and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi interaction: Altering carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal transduction, and genes associated with lipid and protein metabolism
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Researchers found that inoculating soybean plants with a combination of mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria helped protect them from microplastic-induced stress, improving biomass, seed quality, antioxidant defenses, and hormone balance. The study suggests that soil microbe communities could be harnessed as a sustainable strategy to help crops cope with growing microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Fertilization Mitigates Polyethylene Microplastic-Induced Disruptions in Plant Growth and Soil Microbial Processes in Agricultural Soil
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Tiny plastic bits from farm plastics and packaging waste are building up in soil and can harm plant growth and helpful soil microbes. This study found that fertilizing crops can help offset that damage, which matters because healthier soil means safer, more reliable food, and less plastic potentially working its way into what we eat.
Selenium-driven trophic restructuring of soil nematode communities and biochemical regulation alleviate the toxicity caused by microplastic pollution in highland barley
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Researchers investigated whether selenium supplementation could counteract the harmful effects of polyethylene microplastics on highland barley and soil nematode communities. They found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth metrics and disrupted nematode populations, but selenium application helped restore chlorophyll content, root development, and beneficial soil organism diversity. The study suggests that selenium may serve as a practical tool for mitigating microplastic-induced damage in agricultural soils.
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