Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

How Do Mixed Cover Crops (White Mustard + Oats) Contribute to Labile Carbon Pools in an Organic Cropping System in Serbia?

Researchers studied how a mixed cover crop of white mustard and oats affected soil carbon pools in an organic farming system in Serbia. They found that the cover crop mixture contributed to increased microbial carbon and nitrogen in the soil, supporting overall soil health. The study suggests that cover cropping strategies can help sequester carbon and maintain fertility in organic agricultural systems.

2024 Plants 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Selection of Suitable Organic Amendments to Balance Agricultural Economic Benefits and Carbon Sequestration

Researchers evaluated organic soil amendments for balancing agricultural productivity with soil health, finding that amendment type and application rate affect nutrient cycling, microbial activity, and the potential for microplastic introduction via compost or sludge.

2024 Plants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat

Researchers found that microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat by stimulating microbial activity and altering root interactions, suggesting microplastics may disrupt natural nutrient-cycling strategies in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 98 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics with Different Particle Sizes on Soil Organic Carbon Characteristics and Mineralization in Agricultural Soil].

Researchers conducted a 180-day indoor soil cultivation experiment to investigate how polyethylene microplastics of different particle sizes — millimeter-scale, micrometer-scale — affect soil organic carbon characteristics and mineralization processes in agricultural soil.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

The potential contribution of nanocarbon to fostering sustainable agriculture for future generations

This paper is not about microplastics — it reviews how nanocarbon materials can be applied in agriculture to improve soil structure, enable controlled nutrient release, purify water, and monitor crop health, while noting safety concerns around their broader adoption.

2023 Nano Carbons 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit Organic Carbon Mineralization by Influencing Soil Aggregate Distribution and Microbial Community Structure in Cultivated Soil: Evidence from a One-Year Pot Experiment

Researchers conducted a one-year pot experiment to study how different types and concentrations of microplastics affect soil carbon cycling and aggregate stability. They found that microplastics significantly altered soil aggregate size distribution and decreased organic carbon mineralization rates regardless of polymer type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may slow the natural breakdown of organic carbon in agricultural soils by changing soil structure and microbial communities.

2024 Agronomy 18 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Enzymatic-Driven Responses of Soil Fertility and Crop Yields to Different Long-Term Organic Substitution Regimes Under Wheat–Maize Rotation

Scientists found that replacing some chemical fertilizers with organic materials like chicken manure and crop waste can maintain crop yields while making soil much healthier. The organic materials boost helpful soil enzymes that break down nutrients, creating richer soil with more carbon and nitrogen that plants can use. This approach could help farmers grow food more sustainably while reducing their dependence on chemical fertilizers, which is important for long-term food security and environmental health.

2026 Agronomy
Article Tier 2

A Double‐Edged Sword of Biodegradable Microplastics on the Soil Microbial Carbon Pump

Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics in soil had a double-edged effect: they increased carbon dioxide emissions (contributing to greenhouse gases) but also boosted the efficiency of soil microbes at storing carbon in stable forms. This suggests microplastic pollution in farmland has complex environmental consequences that go beyond simple contamination, potentially affecting both climate change and long-term soil health.

2025 Global Change Biology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Induced Alterations in Soil Aggregate-Associated Carbon Stabilization Pathways: Evidence from δ13C Signature Analysis

Researchers conducted a year-long field experiment to understand how different types of microplastics affect carbon storage in soil. They found that conventional plastics like polyethylene and PVC destabilized soil structures and released stored carbon, while biodegradable plastics like PLA and PHA helped maintain soil integrity. The study provides evidence that the type of plastic contaminating agricultural soils significantly influences whether carbon is retained or lost.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

A biobased, bioactive, low CO2impact coating for soil improvers

Researchers developed a bio-based, low-carbon coating system made from natural materials for use in lawn and soil management applications. Eco-friendly coatings that replace synthetic polymer coatings could reduce the microplastic particles shed by conventional plastic-coated slow-release products.

2021 Green Chemistry 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Contributions of fine mineral particles and active Al/Fe to stabilization of plant material in neutral-to-alkaline soils of Indo-Gangetic Plain

Researchers studied how organic carbon added to farmland soils in northern India gets stored or broken down, finding that clay particles and aluminum and iron compounds are key to locking carbon in place for the long term. Understanding these mechanisms is important for predicting how tropical agricultural soils can help offset carbon emissions through carbon sequestration.

2023 Geoderma 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing carbon restoration and ecosystem resilience in global drylands via water-to-carbon biotransformation strategies

Researchers synthesized thousands of experiments on dryland farming and found that combining crop diversification, efficient irrigation, soil mulching, and soil health practices can significantly restore carbon to depleted soils while improving water use efficiency. The study argues these strategies are practical pathways for combating climate change and food insecurity in the world's most water-stressed regions.

2025 Communications Earth & Environment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Slow-Released Fertilisers as a Source of Microplastics

Analysis of slow-release fertilisers coated with polymer shells found that these products can release microplastics into agricultural soils as the coatings degrade. Two major manufacturers' products showed varying polymer compositions and differing abilities to adsorb soil contaminants, raising concerns about MP accumulation from fertiliser use.

2024 Land 8 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Organic Mulching to Conserve Soil Nutritional Quality and Enhance Wheat Yield

Organic mulching with farm manure and wheat straw preserved soil nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels while significantly increasing wheat grain and straw yields. Combining both mulch types at higher rates was most effective, offering a practical strategy to maintain soil nutritional quality under intensive farming.

2023 Journal of Agricultural Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Disguising As Soil Carbon Storage

This study investigated whether microplastics in soil are mistakenly counted as carbon storage, finding that microplastic particles can interfere with soil carbon measurements and may cause overestimates of organic carbon in agricultural and natural soils.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 472 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the intricate relationship between plant nutrients and microplastics in agroecosystems

A study of wheat grown in soils with varying microplastic levels found complex interactions between MPs and plant macronutrients and micronutrients, with MPs altering nutrient uptake in ways that could affect crop productivity in contaminated agricultural soils.

2023 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The application of biochar and organic fertilizer substitution regulates the diversities of habitat specialist bacterial communities within soil aggregates in proso millet farmland

Researchers conducted a field experiment on millet farmland to study how biochar and organic fertilizer combinations affect soil bacterial communities, finding that combining both improved soil nutrients and bacterial diversity more than either treatment alone — supporting healthier, more resilient farming soils.

2025 Biochar 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Generate Less Mineral Protection of Soil Carbon and More CO2 Emissions

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics affects soil carbon storage compared to natural organic matter. They found that microplastic-derived compounds are nearly eight times more easily consumed by soil microbes, leading to significantly higher carbon dioxide emissions and much less carbon being stored in soil minerals. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in agricultural and natural soils may undermine the land's ability to store carbon and contribute to climate warming.

2024 Advanced Science 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.

2022 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Planting Enhances Soil Resistance to Microplastics: Evidence from Carbon Emissions and Dissolved Organic Matter Stability

Researchers found that growing plants in soil contaminated with microplastics helped protect the soil ecosystem compared to unplanted soil. The root systems of plants stabilized the soil's microbial communities and reduced the carbon emissions caused by microplastic pollution, suggesting that maintaining plant cover could be one strategy to limit the environmental damage from microplastics in farmland.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Mineralization and Transfer of Polymer-Derived Carbon from Biodegradable Mulch into the Soil Microbial Biomass and Organic Matter Pool

Researchers tracked the fate of biodegradable mulch polymer carbon in soil using isotope tracing, finding that polymer-derived carbon enters both microbial catabolic (mineralization to CO2) and anabolic (immobilization into microbial biomass and soil organic matter) pathways, with implications for carbon cycling in agroecosystems.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Differential impacts of microplastics on carbon and nitrogen cycling in plant-soil systems: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 3,338 observations found that microplastics increased soil CO2 emissions by 25.7% but also boosted soil carbon storage through increases in total carbon (53.3%), soil organic carbon (25.4%), and microbial biomass carbon (19.6%). However, microplastics decreased plant aboveground biomass and reduced nitrate and ammonia volatilization, suggesting that while soil carbon sink capacity may increase, agricultural productivity could suffer.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of land management practices on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and carbon mineralization in the Tarsus–Karabucak Eucalyptus forest

Researchers examined how cutting and tillage practices in eucalyptus plantations affect soil organic carbon and carbon mineralization over two years, finding that tillage following tree cutting consistently reduced soil organic carbon and microbial activity compared to no-tillage or uncut controls.

2026 International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences
Article Tier 2

Effects and mechanism of microplastics on organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural soil: A review

This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.

2023 Soil Use and Management 39 citations