Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Design and Testing of Friction-Type Nail-Tooth-Chain-Plate Residual-Film-Picking System

This is not about microplastics — it is an agricultural engineering study designing and optimizing a mechanical device for picking up plastic mulch film residues from agricultural fields, aimed at improving plastic film collection efficiency.

2024 Agriculture 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Economic Analysis of Low-Cost Tractor Drawn Plastic Mulching Machine

Researchers developed and performed an economic analysis of a low-cost tractor-drawn plastic mulching machine that simultaneously handles soil bed preparation, drip laying, mulch laying, mulch covering, and transplanting hole creation, addressing the inefficiency of traditional manual mulching methods in horticulture.

2023 International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Design and Numerical Simulation Study of Film Rod Reparation Device for Residual Film Recycling Machine

Engineers designed a wind-separation device to separate residual plastic film from crop debris and soil during agricultural plastic film recovery operations. The accumulation of agricultural plastic film fragments in soil is a significant microplastic source in farming regions, making improved recovery technology important for reducing soil contamination.

2023 Applied Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Design and Experimental Optimization of Vegetable Surface Residual Film Recycling Machine

A vegetable surface residual film recycling machine was designed and optimized to improve recovery of plastic mulch film fragments from agricultural soil after harvest. Box-Behnken experimental design was used to optimize key mechanical parameters for maximum film recovery with minimum soil contamination. Efficient residual film recovery is essential for reducing plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.

2022 INMATEH Agricultural Engineering 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Circular use of biobased plastics in agriculture and horticulture

Researchers presented outcomes from a three-year collaborative project developing biobased and biodegradable plastic products for agriculture and horticulture, demonstrating viable pathways for recycling, industrial composting, and programmed soil biodegradation across applications including growbags and plant propagation products, while introducing an online tool to help farmers select circular plastic options that minimise microplastic accumulation.

2025 Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling
Article Tier 2

Role of tillage measures in mitigating waterlogging damage in rapeseed

This paper is not relevant to microplastics; it studies tillage methods for reducing waterlogging damage to rapeseed crops.

2023 BMC Plant Biology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on the Growth and Quality of Brassica campestris L. in a Three-season Consecutive Cultivation].

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics of four particle size fractions (under 25, 25-48, 48-150, and 150-850 micrometers) affect the growth, development, and nutrient quality of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) across three consecutive cultivation seasons in pot experiments, finding significant size-dependent inhibitory effects on plant growth and soil nutrient supply.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro- and micro-plastic accumulation in soils under different intensive farming systems: A case study in Quzhou county, the North China Plain

Soil samples from six farming systems in the North China Plain showed macroplastic abundances from 0.2 to 46.8 kg/ha and microplastic concentrations up to 3.7×10⁴ items/kg, with greenhouse and mulched vegetable fields showing the highest contamination.

2024 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

On the quest for novel bio-degradable plastics for agricultural field mulching

This review examined the challenge of developing biodegradable plastic mulch materials suitable for agricultural use, noting that plasticulture consumes about 6.7 million tons of plastic annually, most of which cannot be practically recycled. The authors assessed candidate biodegradable polymers based on their degradation rates in soil, mechanical performance, and cost.

2022 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

A Biodegradable Pot Technique, and Emergy Analysis to Improve Restoration Outcomes of Potamogeton Perfoliatus L.

This study developed a biodegradable planting pot technique for restoring native aquatic vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay, finding it improved seedling survival over conventional methods. The approach aims to restore declining seagrass beds while avoiding introduction of new plastic materials into sensitive estuarine habitats.

2018 Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (University of Maryland College Park)
Article Tier 2

Programmed biodegradation of polymer blends and composites for applications in agriculture and horticulture

Researchers developed and evaluated polymer blends and composites based on PHBV, PHBH, PBS, and PLA for agricultural and horticultural applications, demonstrating through greenhouse cultivation trials that these materials retained full mechanical integrity during use and achieved programmed biodegradation after harvest, reducing the risk of persistent microplastic accumulation compared to conventional plastics.

2025 Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling
Article Tier 2

Development of a method for determining microplastic content in agricultural soils with research on minimization measures

Researchers developed a methodology for measuring microplastic content in agricultural soils, identifying sprayer tank design, tank materials, and operational parameters as key contamination factors, and proposed practical minimization measures including tank volume optimization.

2025 ELARTU (Ternopil National Technical University)
Article Tier 2

Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?

This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 1452 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant-driven strategies for mitigating microplastic pollution in agricultural ecosystems

Researchers review how microplastics damage agricultural soils and crops — disrupting soil structure, starving plants of nutrients, and triggering oxidative stress — and explore plant- and microbe-based strategies like root-associated bacteria and biochar amendments as promising but underexplored tools for cleaning up plastic-contaminated farmland.

2025 Hygiene and Environmental Health Advances
Article Tier 2

Novel insights related to soil microplastic abundance and vegetable microplastic contamination

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in farmland soils and the vegetables grown in them, finding that polyethylene and polypropylene were the most common plastic types in soil. Chinese cabbage had the highest vegetable contamination levels, and there was a moderate correlation between soil and vegetable microplastic concentrations. The study provides real-world evidence that microplastics in agricultural soil can transfer into the food crops people eat.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Root Architecture, Growth and Photon Yield of Cucumber Seedlings as Influenced by Daily Light Integral at Different Stages in the Closed Transplant Production System

This agricultural science study optimized light exposure conditions for growing cucumber seedlings in a controlled indoor production system to maximize growth while minimizing energy use. It is not related to microplastics or environmental contamination.

2021 Horticulturae 17 citations
Article Tier 2

A field experiment on macroplastic redistribution and fragmentation by soil tillage

Researchers conducted a field experiment using magnetically tagged macroplastic pieces and RFID transponders to trace the redistribution and fragmentation of plastic waste during non-inversion chisel and inversion disk soil tillage operations, providing novel data on macroplastic fate and displacement depth in arable land.

2024
Article Tier 2

Plastic Use in Agriculture: Balancing Benefits, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Solutions

This review examines the benefits and environmental risks of plasticulture, covering how plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems boost yields while generating microplastic soil contamination, and proposing sustainable alternatives and policy frameworks.

2024 International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics interaction with terrestrial plants and their impacts on agriculture

This review summarizes what is known about how microplastics interact with terrestrial plants, including how they are taken up, transported through plant tissues, and affect growth and agricultural productivity. Researchers note that while marine microplastic research is extensive, studies on soil ecosystems and crop impacts remain limited. The study highlights the need for more research on how microplastics in agricultural soils may ultimately affect food safety and human health.

2021 Journal of Environmental Quality 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Is mulch film itself the primary source of meso- and microplastics in the mulching cultivated soil? A preliminary field study with econometric methods

A field study examined whether mulch films were the primary source of meso- and microplastics in mulched agricultural soils using econometric methods to compare plastic-mulched and non-mulched fields, finding that while mulch contributed to soil plastic loads, it was not the sole source. The study challenges the assumption that plastic mulch is always the dominant microplastic source in farmed soils.

2022 Environmental Pollution 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Organic Fertilizer on Photosynthesis, Yield, and Quality of Pakchoi under Different Irrigation Conditions

This paper is not about microplastics. It studies how organic fertilizer affects the photosynthesis, yield, and quality of pakchoi (a type of Chinese cabbage) under different irrigation conditions. The research focuses entirely on agricultural fertilizer management and crop science with no connection to microplastic contamination or health effects.

2024 Plants 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Employing a systems approach to unravelling the complexities of the agricultural plastics value chain

Researchers used a systems analysis approach to map the full lifecycle of plastics used in agriculture — from production to disposal — and found that while these materials boost crop yields, they create serious sustainability problems including microplastic accumulation in soil and chemical leaching. The study identifies critical gaps in data, policy, and infrastructure needed to manage agricultural plastic waste and transition toward more sustainable alternatives.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects on plants

This perspective paper proposed mechanistic pathways through which microplastics could affect plant growth positively or negatively, including effects on soil structure, water availability, nutrient cycling, and root-microbe interactions. The authors argue that plant species and plastic type will determine the direction of effects, and call for dedicated research to fill a major gap in terrestrial microplastic science.

2019 New Phytologist 807 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of microplastic accumulation in the root zones of agricultural soils

Scientists found that tiny plastic pieces from farm materials like mulch films get stuck in soil and don't wash away easily, causing them to build up over time in areas where food is grown. This matters because these microplastics can potentially enter our food supply through crops that absorb them from contaminated soil. The research shows it's very difficult to remove these plastic particles once they're in farmland, suggesting we need better prevention methods to protect our food system.

2026