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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Exploring Plastic Mulching as a Strategy for Mitigating Drought Stress and Boosting Maize Yield in the Ecuadorian Andes
ClearPlastic 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.
Effects of Mulching on Maize Yield and Evapotranspiration in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China
This study examined how plastic film mulching affects maize yield and water use in northwest China's Heihe River Basin, finding that mulching increases yields and reduces evaporation. However, widespread plastic mulch use is also a major source of microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Impact of Plastic Mulching on Microplastic Contamination in Mountainous Agricultural Soils
A study on plastic mulch use in agriculture found that it significantly increases microplastic contamination in soils, with particle concentrations rising with cumulative years of mulch application. The findings reinforce concerns about plastic mulching as a major contributor to agricultural soil microplastic pollution.
Effects of Different Mulch Types on Farmland Soil Moisture in an Artificial Oasis Area
Not relevant to microplastics — this study compares how different mulch materials (including conventional polyethylene plastic films) affect soil moisture retention in an arid farming region of China, focusing on water management rather than plastic fragmentation or microplastic contamination.
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.
Plastic mulch productivity-sustainability tradeoffs and pathways toward an eco-friendly framework: insights from a global meta-analysis
This meta-analysis pools data from global studies on plastic mulch used in farming, finding that it boosts crop yields by nearly 29% but leaves persistent plastic residue in soil. The plastic fragments that remain in farmland soil eventually break down into microplastics, which can contaminate crops and enter the food supply. The study calls for biodegradable alternatives to balance food production needs with the growing problem of agricultural microplastic pollution.
Consequences of 33 Years of Plastic Film Mulching and Nitrogen Fertilization on Maize Growth and Soil Quality
Researchers found that after 33 years of continuous plastic film mulching, residual microplastics in soil persisted even after mulching stopped, though soil moisture and crop yields were still influenced by the legacy effects of long-term mulch use and nitrogen fertilization.
Assessing the Productivity and Economic Sustainability of Banana Cultivation under Diverse Colored Plastic Mulches in Western Maharashtra Region of India
A field experiment in Maharashtra, India found that colored plastic mulches combined with drip irrigation significantly improved banana growth, yield, and economic returns compared to conventional cultivation. While demonstrating agricultural benefits, the study highlights the widespread use of plastic mulch in tropical agriculture, which is a known source of microplastic contamination in farmland soils.
The Plastic Paradox: A Systematic Review of Mulch-Derived Microplastic Pollution and the Sustainability of Arid Zone Agriculture
This systematic review examines the 'plastic paradox' in farming — plastic mulch boosts crop yields in dry climates but leaves behind microplastics that accumulate in soil over time. These soil microplastics can alter water flow, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crops.
Optimized Farmland Mulching Improves Rainfed Maize Productivity by Regulating Soil Temperature and Phenology on the Loess Plateau in China
A field experiment on the Loess Plateau found that combining plastic film mulch with straw mulch regulated soil temperature and extended the grain-filling period of rainfed maize, preventing premature senescence and improving yields. The study highlights a trade-off in dryland agriculture: plastic mulch conserves moisture but overheats soil, while novel double-mulching patterns can mitigate the temperature problem while still relying on plastic film.
Improvement of crop and soil management practices through mulching for enhancement of soil fertility and environmental sustainability: A review
This review examined mulching practices in agriculture as a strategy for improving soil fertility, water retention, and crop yields, while also noting that plastic mulch films generate persistent microplastic contamination in agricultural soils. The authors discussed biodegradable mulch alternatives and best management practices for reducing plastic residues.
Effects of different mulch materials on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and soil water use efficiency of wheat in Loess tableland
Not relevant to microplastics — this agricultural study compares different mulching materials (including plastic film) on wheat yield and water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau of China, with no focus on microplastic pollution from plastic mulch.
The agricultural plastic paradox: Feeding more, harming more?
This review examines the trade-off between the agricultural benefits of plastic film mulch, which helps feed an estimated 85 million additional people in China alone, and the growing microplastic contamination it causes in farmland soils. Researchers found that current studies on the effects of mulch-derived microplastics use inconsistent methods and often unrealistically high concentrations, making it difficult to assess the true risks. The study calls for standardized research approaches to better understand whether the agricultural benefits of plastic mulch outweigh its environmental costs.
The effects of biodegradable mulch film on the growth, yield, and water use efficiency of cotton and maize in an arid region
Researchers compared biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch films in Chinese agriculture, finding that biodegradable films improved water use efficiency and crop yield comparably to conventional plastic while reducing long-term plastic accumulation in soil. Degradable mulch films represent a promising strategy to reduce agricultural microplastic pollution.
Influence of soil characteristics and agricultural practices on microplastic concentrations in sandy soils and their association with heavy metal contamination
Researchers studied microplastic contamination in agricultural soils that use plastic mulch in arid regions and found significantly higher concentrations in mulched fields compared to control sites. They identified eight different polymer types and found that microplastic levels increased with the duration of mulching use, with heavy metals like iron and nickel accumulating on the plastic particles. The study highlights how agricultural plastic use contributes to long-term soil contamination and the potential for microplastics to serve as carriers of metal pollutants in farmland.
Impact of plastic mulching on microplastic contamination in mountainous agricultural soils
Researchers examined how plastic mulching films affect microplastic contamination in remote mountainous agricultural soils in Kakani, Nepal, collecting soil samples from two depths across mulched farms, non-mulched farms, and adjacent forests and finding elevated MP concentrations in mulched plots.
Impact of plastic mulching on microplastic contamination in mountainous agricultural soils
Researchers examined how plastic mulching films affect microplastic contamination in remote mountainous agricultural soils in Kakani, Nepal, collecting soil samples from two depths across mulched farms, non-mulched farms, and adjacent forests and finding elevated MP concentrations in mulched plots.
Effects of Biodegradable Film and Polyethylene Film Residues on Soil Moisture and Maize Productivity in Dryland
Researchers found that biodegradable agricultural films are a viable alternative to conventional polyethylene mulch films, with higher degradation rates and less impact on soil moisture and maize root growth, ultimately improving grain yield and water use efficiency over a two-year field experiment.
Modeling Spring Maize Grain Filling under Film Mulching and Nitrogen Application in a Cold and Arid Environment
Researchers modeled maize grain-filling under different plastic mulch film and nitrogen fertilizer treatments, finding that degradable plastic film performed similarly to conventional plastic mulch. The comparison of degradable versus conventional agricultural plastic films is relevant to microplastic contamination of soils, as conventional mulch films are a major source of agricultural microplastics.
Environmental risk of multi-year polythene film mulching and its green solution in arid irrigation region
Researchers found that 19 years of polythene film mulching accumulated up to 2,900 microplastic particles per kilogram of soil along with elevated plasticizer concentrations, and demonstrated that biodegradable film alternatives could significantly reduce this environmental contamination.
Reflective mulch films a boon for enhancing crop production: A review
This review examines how reflective and colored plastic mulch films modify soil temperature, light conditions, and moisture retention to enhance crop production, while also discussing concerns about plastic residue in agricultural soils.
Effect of microplastics used in agronomic practices on agricultural soil properties and plant functions: Potential contribution to the circular economy of rural areas
Researchers measured the effects of microplastics used in common agricultural practices — including mulch film residues and irrigation-delivered particles — on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Microplastic presence altered soil aggregation, water retention, and microbial community composition, with effects depending on plastic concentration, polymer type, and soil texture.
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.
Competency of groundwater recharge of irrigated cotton field subjacent to sowing methods, plastic mulch, water productivity, and yield under climate change
Researchers tested different cotton planting methods with and without plastic mulch films, finding that bed planting without plastic mulch produced the highest yield and water efficiency, while climate models predict groundwater recharge will decline significantly by 2050. The study also highlights that plastic mulch films used in agriculture are a known source of microplastic contamination in soil.