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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Land Tenure, Loans, and Farmers’ Cropland Conservation Behavior: Evidence from Rural Northwest China
ClearWhy do farmers care about rented land? Investigating the context of farmland tenure
Researchers investigated why some farmers who rent land invest less in soil conservation than landowners, finding that rental duration, relationship quality, and plot characteristics all matter. Soil degradation on rented farmland can accelerate microplastic accumulation from plastic mulch films that tenants may be less motivated to properly remove.
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.
Does Construction of High-Standard Farmland Improve Recycle Behavior of Agricultural Film? Evidence from Sichuan, China
Researchers found that farmers participating in high-standard farmland construction programs in Sichuan, China were 16% more likely to recycle agricultural plastic film, suggesting that rural infrastructure investment can improve plastic waste management behaviors.
The Impact of Resource Spatial Mismatch on the Configuration Analysis of Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity
This study analyzed how the spatial distribution of agricultural resources affects green farming productivity in China from 2005 to 2021. While not directly about microplastics, it found that pollutant emissions from fertilizers and petroleum products significantly hinder sustainable agriculture. The findings are indirectly relevant because agricultural plastic waste, including mulch films, is a major source of microplastic contamination in farmland soil.
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.
How to incentivize farmers to adopt and recycle high-standard plastic mulch in China: economic subsidies, government regulations or social norms?
A survey of 635 farmers in Gansu Province, China assessed drivers of high-standard plastic mulch adoption and recycling, finding that economic subsidies were more effective than government mandates or social norms in encouraging environmentally responsible mulch management.
Agricultural plastic films reshape soil microplastic distribution, nitrogen cycle and ecological risks in facility agriculture
Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in protected agriculture systems and traditional farmland soils in China, finding significantly higher microplastic abundance in mulched farmland and documenting correlations between microplastic presence and altered soil nitrogen cycling and heavy metal distribution.
Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate
Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.
Uncovering hidden determinants of millennial farmers’ intentions in running conservation agriculture: An application of the Norm Activation Model
Not relevant to microplastics — this study applies the Norm Activation Model to understand why millennial farmers in Central Java, Indonesia do or do not adopt conservation practices on degraded mountain agricultural land.
Distinct microplastic distributions in soils of different land-use types: A case study of Chinese farmlands
Microplastic distribution across six types of farmland land use was surveyed from soils in five Chinese provinces to determine how agricultural practices shape soil microplastic contamination. The study found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by land-use type, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation practices as key contributing factors.
Can pro-environmental behavior increase farmers’ income?—Evidence from arable land quality protection practices in China
This study used survey data from 591 farmers in Xinjiang, China to assess whether pro-environmental farming behaviors increase income. Results showed that farmers adopting practices that reduced soil and water pollution generated higher yields and revenues over time. Pro-environmental agricultural practices that limit plastic mulch use and chemical inputs can improve both farm sustainability and farmer livelihoods.
Sustainable Plasticulture in Chinese Agriculture: a Review of Challenges and Routes to Achieving Long-term Food and Ecosecurity
This review examines the challenges of plasticulture in Chinese agriculture, where macro-, micro-, and nanoplastic pollution from mulch films threatens long-term soil health and crop production. The authors propose holistic solutions targeting plastic production, use, and waste management to protect food security.
Duration- and area-dependent influences of plastic film mulch on soil microplastics abundance
Researchers conducted a field campaign combined with remote sensing to investigate how the duration and coverage area of plastic film mulching affect microplastic abundance in agricultural soils in northern China's agro-pastoral ecotone, finding that microplastic concentrations ranged from 41.7 to 787.5 items per kilogram and positively correlated with mulching duration.
Exploring the Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Typical Maize Farmland Soils With Long-Term Plastic Film Mulching in Northern China
A survey of 225 soil samples from maize farmland with long-term plastic film mulching in northern China found widespread microplastic contamination, with abundance, distribution, and polymer composition reflecting the history of film use and agricultural management practices.
Potential sources and occurrence of macro-plastics and microplastics pollution in farmland soils: A typical case of China
This review examines plastic pollution in Chinese farmland soils, finding that agricultural practices like mulch film use and sewage sludge application are major sources of both macro- and microplastics that accumulate over time.
Greening agriculture as a response to climate change: a case study from China over 2000–2021
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it assesses green agriculture development and carbon efficiency in China's Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2021 using economic and environmental modeling, with no connection to plastic pollution.
Agricultural plastic mulching as a source of microplastics in the terrestrial environment
Researchers analyzed 384 soil samples from 19 Chinese provinces and found that macroplastic fragments were concentrated in agricultural fields with plastic mulch film use, providing large-scale field evidence linking agricultural mulching to terrestrial plastic contamination.
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.
Characteristics of microplastics in dryland soils after long‐term film mulching and the effect of cropping type in western Liaoning Province, China
Fields in a semi-arid region of China that had been covered with agricultural plastic film for over a decade showed significant microplastic accumulation in the soil, with fragment shapes dominating and concentrations varying by crop type. Different crops influenced both the abundance and characteristics of microplastic particles, likely due to differences in tillage, root activity, and film use patterns. This study adds to growing evidence that agricultural plastic mulching is a major driver of farmland microplastic pollution with potential consequences for soil health and crop safety.
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.