We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Composted PBST Biodegradable Mulch Film Residues Enhance Crop Development: Insights into Microbial Community Assembly, Network Interactions, and Soil Metabolism
ClearPreliminary Findings of Polypropylene Carbonate (PPC) Plastic Film Mulching Effects on the Soil Microbial Community
Researchers examined how polypropylene carbonate biodegradable film mulching affects soil microbial community composition and function compared to bare soil, finding that PPC film alters microbial diversity and activity during decomposition in agricultural settings.
Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films: Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities and Ecosystem Functions
This review examines how biodegradable plastic mulch films affect soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions compared to conventional polyethylene mulches. Researchers found that while biodegradable films avoid the problem of permanent plastic accumulation, their breakdown products can still alter soil microbiomes and carbon cycling in ways that are not yet fully understood. The study highlights the need for long-term field research to determine whether biodegradable mulches are truly a sustainable alternative for agriculture.
Effect of Long-Term Biodegradable Film Mulch on Soil Physicochemical and Microbial Properties
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.
Biodegradable Film Mulching Increases Soil Carbon Sequestration and Microbial Network Complexity in a Long-Term Field Study
Scientists studied biodegradable plastic mulch (the plastic sheeting farmers use to cover soil) and found it helps soil store more carbon and support healthier microbial communities compared to regular plastic mulch. However, the biodegradable plastic still breaks down into microplastics in the soil, raising questions about long-term environmental effects. This matters because while biodegradable farm plastics may help fight climate change by storing carbon, we still need to understand how the microplastics they leave behind might affect our food system.
Microplastics distribution and microbial community characteristics of farmland soil under different mulch methods
This study compared microplastic distribution and soil microbial community structure in farmland soils under different plastic film mulching methods including no mulch, biodegradable film, and conventional polyethylene film. Mulching method significantly altered both microplastic abundance and microbial diversity in the top soil layer.
Effects of aging behavior of biodegradable mulch on soil microbial community composition: An offline simulation study
Researchers conducted a 60-day outdoor aging test on four formulations of biodegradable PBAT mulch film and found that starch additions accelerated mechanical breakdown while PLA additions slowed it, with aged mulch shifting soil fungal communities toward Mortierella but producing no detectable harmful effects on soil health.
Effect of Multiyear Biodegradable Plastic Mulch on Soil Microbial Community, Assembly, and Functioning
This study examined how using biodegradable plastic mulch (PBAT) on farmland for multiple years affected soil microbes. The mulch changed the types of bacteria and fungi in the soil, including encouraging bacteria that may help break down plastic but also disrupting natural nutrient cycling. The findings raise questions about whether biodegradable plastic alternatives are truly safe for long-term agricultural use, since they still alter soil ecosystems as they break down into microplastics.
The Succession of Bacterial Community Attached on Biodegradable Plastic Mulches During the Degradation in Soil
Researchers studied how bacterial communities colonize and change over time on biodegradable plastic mulches buried in soil for five months. The study found that plastic composition and incubation time significantly shaped microbial communities, and notably, potential pathogens were detected at higher levels on biodegradable plastics compared to conventional polyethylene mulch.
Integrated microbiology and metabolomics analysis reveal plastic mulch film residue affects soil microorganisms and their metabolic functions
Researchers used high-throughput gene sequencing combined with metabolomics to study how plastic mulch film residues affect soil microorganisms and their metabolic functions. They found that mulch film residues significantly altered microbial community composition and disrupted key metabolic pathways in the soil. The study reveals that plastic agricultural film left in soil can interfere with the biological processes that keep soil ecosystems healthy.
Plastic mulching, and occurrence, incorporation, degradation, and impacts of polyethylene microplastics in agroecosystems
This review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down into polyethylene microplastics and what happens to them in farm ecosystems. Researchers describe how microorganisms colonize these particles and can eventually break down the plastic molecules, but also how the microplastics alter soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling. The study highlights plastic mulching as a major source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils worldwide.
Degradation of Biodegradable Mulch-Derived Microplastics and Their Effects on Bacterial Communities and Radish Growth in Three Vegetable-Cultivated Purple Soils
Biodegradable mulch films are increasingly used in agriculture as a "greener" alternative to conventional plastic, but their breakdown products — biodegradable microplastics — still have significant effects on soil and crops. A pot experiment across three soil types found that both conventional and biodegradable microplastics altered soil bacteria communities, with biodegradable plastics notably promoting the growth of specific plastic-degrading bacteria. Importantly, the effects on soil chemistry and radish growth varied substantially depending on soil type, suggesting that blanket recommendations about biodegradable mulch safety are premature without site-specific assessment.
Poly (butylene adipate terephthalate) degradation products and their influence on plant progression and soil microbial diversity
This study examined how the biodegradable plastic PBAT degrades in soil and what effects its degradation products have on Chinese cabbage growth and soil microbial diversity, finding that degradation varied with particle size and that soil microbiomes shifted as PBAT broke down. The findings matter for assessing whether "biodegradable" mulch films truly disappear benignly or leave behind microplastic fragments and microbial disruption in agricultural soils.
Soil Microbial Biomass and Microarthropod Community Responses to Conventional and Biodegradable Plastics
Researchers assessed the medium-term effects of conventional polyethylene plastic mulch versus biodegradable alternatives on soil microbial biomass and microarthropod communities. They found that both plastic types and their residues in soil influenced biological communities over time, though the specific impacts differed between conventional and biodegradable materials. The study provides evidence that switching to bioplastic mulches may alter, but not necessarily eliminate, the effects of plastic residues on soil ecosystems.
Biodegradable mulch films exhibit slower-than-expected degradation with negligible effects on soil microbial communities
Researchers ran a year-long field trial with seven biodegradable plastic mulch films in the UK, finding that none fragmented into soil microplastics as expected and all degraded far more slowly than current industry standards suggest they should. Despite virtually no measurable impact on soil microbial communities, the results challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics reliably break down under real farming conditions.
The plastisphere of biodegradable and conventional microplastics from residues exhibit distinct microbial structure, network and function in plastic-mulching farmland
Researchers compared the bacterial communities that colonize biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics in farmland soil. They found that biodegradable plastics (PBAT/PLA) and conventional polyethylene each attracted distinct microbial communities with different functions, including bacteria that could degrade plastics or cycle nutrients. The results suggest that even biodegradable plastics create unique microbial environments in soil that may affect soil health and function in unexpected ways.
The long-term uncertainty of biodegradable mulch film residues and associated microplastics pollution on plant-soil health
This study investigated the long-term effects of biodegradable mulch film residues and their associated microplastics on soil health and plant growth. Researchers found that as biodegradable films break down faster than conventional plastics, they may actually generate more microplastics in a shorter timeframe. The results raise concerns that biodegradable mulch films, often promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, could pose their own risks to agricultural soil ecosystems.
Metagenomic exploration of microbial and enzymatic traits involved in microplastic biodegradation
A metagenomic study of agricultural soil microcosms containing low-density polyethylene and polylactic acid mulch films revealed the diversity of plastic-degrading enzymes and associated microbial communities capable of microplastic biodegradation.
Microplastics from agricultural mulch films: a threat to growth promoting abilities of bacteria?
Researchers tested how microplastics shed from agricultural plastic mulch films affect soil bacteria that promote plant growth, finding that mulch-derived microplastics reduced the abundance and activity of key plant growth-promoting bacteria. The results suggest agricultural plastic use could undermine soil health and crop productivity.
Are mulch biofilms used in agriculture an environmentally friendly solution? - An insight into their biodegradability and ecotoxicity using key organisms in soil ecosystems
Researchers assessed the biodegradation and ecotoxicity of a commercial biodegradable mulch biofilm in soil systems. The study found that while marketed as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastic mulch, biodegradable films did not fully degrade under natural soil conditions as certification standards would predict. The results suggest that more rigorous testing under realistic field conditions is needed before assuming these products are safe for soil ecosystems.
Structural and Functional Responses of Soil Microbial Communities to Biodegradable Plastic Film Mulching in Two Agroecosystems
Researchers investigated the effects of biodegradable plastic mulch films (BDMs) on soil microbial communities over two years at sites in Tennessee and Washington, finding that mulch treatment type had minimal impact on bacterial community structure or extracellular enzyme activity compared to the stronger effects of location and season.
Plastic Mulch‐Derived Microplastics in Agricultural Soil Systems
This review examines how plastic mulch films widely used in agriculture degrade via photodegradation, chemical processes, and microbial activity to form microplastics, and discusses how these microplastics affect soil properties, plant growth, soil microbiomes, and broader agricultural ecosystem health.
Agricultural mulch films as soil microplastic contamination factor
This review examines agricultural mulch films as a source of soil microplastic contamination, summarizing evidence on degradation rates, particle accumulation in soil profiles, and impacts on soil properties and biological communities over time.
The fate of post-use biodegradable PBAT-based mulch films buried in agricultural soil
Scientists tracked the breakdown of a biodegradable mulch film in farm soil over 16 months and found that while the film lost more than half its surface area, it released microplastics into the surrounding soil during the process. About 17-23% of the original film material was still recoverable from the soil after nearly 500 days. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can be a source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Plastic mulch film residues in agriculture: impact on soil suppressiveness, plant growth, and microbial communities
Researchers tested the effects of low-density polyethylene and biodegradable mulch film residues on soil disease suppressiveness, plant growth, and microbial communities. They found that while 1% plastic residues did not affect the soil's ability to suppress Fusarium disease, plant biomass decreased and nutrient status changed in the presence of plastic. Notably, the microbial communities on the plastic surfaces (the plastisphere) were distinct from those in the rhizosphere and included potential plant pathogens like Rhizoctonia.