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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastic Mulching or Conventional Cultivation of Lavender Flower: What Influence on the Yield, Essential Oil and Their Neuroprotective Effects?
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 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.
Effect of mulching on soil properties, microbial diversity and activities, and crop yield
Researchers examined mulching materials including plastic films and biodegradable hemp fiber alternatives, finding that plastic mulch leaves persistent microplastic fragments in soil with poorly understood consequences, while plant fiber bio-canvas offers a promising biodegradable substitute for weed control.
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.
[Occurrence and Characteristics of Macro/Micro-plastics and Phthalates in Soils Under Different Plastic Film Mulching].
Researchers assessed residual characteristics of macroplastics, microplastics, and phthalate plasticizers in agricultural soils under different plastic film mulching treatments over a three-year field experiment, comparing traditional PE film with three types of biodegradable mulch and a no-mulch control. The study examined whether biodegradable film substitution effectively reduces soil plastic and PAE residual pollution.
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.
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.
Macro- and microplastic accumulation in soil after 32 years of plastic film mulching
Researchers quantified plastic accumulation in an agricultural field after 32 continuous years of plastic mulch film use. They found roughly 10 times more macroplastic fragments in fertilized plots than non-fertilized plots, likely because plant roots and stems became entangled with the film making removal difficult. The study found that plastic mulch contributed 33% to 56% of total microplastics detected down to one meter of soil depth, demonstrating substantial long-term accumulation from agricultural plastic use.
Contamination of microplastics in greenhouse soil subjected to plastic mulching
This study quantified microplastic accumulation in greenhouse soils under different durations of plastic mulching, finding that longer mulching periods significantly increased MP concentrations in both topsoil and subsoil. Soil physicochemical properties were associated with MP contamination levels, suggesting soil type and organic matter influence MP retention.
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.
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.
Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review traces the full lifecycle of plastic mulch films used in farming, from application to breakdown in soil. While these films boost crop yields, they leave behind persistent residues that fragment into microplastics, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater. The review highlights the need for biodegradable alternatives to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in agricultural land.
Vertical distributions of microplastics in long-term mulched soils and their potential impacts on soil properties and microbial diversity
Microplastic concentrations were measured at different depths in agricultural soils that had been mulched with plastic film over many years, finding vertical stratification with higher concentrations near the surface. Long-term plastic mulching leads to progressive accumulation of microplastics throughout the soil profile.
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.
Evaluation of Commercial Viability of Eco-friendly Alternatives to Traditional Floral Foam and Their Effects on Vase Life of Five Species of Cut Flowers
This horticultural study evaluates eco-friendly alternatives to traditional floral foam, a significant source of microplastic pollution, finding that some sustainable substitutes maintain cut flower vase life comparably to conventional foam. Replacing plastic-based floral foam could reduce microplastic contamination of garden and waterway soils.
From plastic mulching to microplastic pollution : An effect assessment of microplastics in the soil-plant system
This review assessed how plastic mulching films contribute to agricultural microplastic pollution, finding that biodegradable alternatives rarely fully degrade under field conditions and instead fragment into microplastics, with both LDPE and biodegradable microplastics producing measurable ecological effects in soil-plant systems.
Microplastics in agricultural soils: Extraction and characterization after different periods of polythene film mulching in an arid region
Researchers developed a new method to extract microplastics from agricultural soil and found that fields mulched with plastic film for 30 years had the highest microplastic concentrations, at 40 mg per kilogram of soil, with particle size decreasing as the years of mulching increased. The study highlights the long-term accumulation of microplastics in soils under continuous plastic film agriculture.
Microplastics pollution modulated by farming regimes under multi-scenarios
Microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils were found to vary with farming regimes, with certain practices under mulching leading to higher accumulation. The study highlights how common agricultural methods contribute to soil microplastic pollution and supports calls for better plastic mulch management.
Macro and microplastics in agricultural soils after use of conventional and biodegradable plastics
Researchers sampled 38 agricultural fields where conventional polyethylene mulching films, polypropylene weed fabrics, biodegradable PBAT films, and frost covers had been used, quantifying macro- and microplastic contamination in soils to assess how different agricultural plastic products contribute to soil plastic pollution.
Assessment on Microplastic Contamination from Mulching and Non-Mulching Farmland in Selangor, Malaysia
This Malaysian study characterized microplastics in soil from mulched and non-mulched farmland in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, analyzing abundance by depth and site. Mulched soils contained higher microplastic concentrations than non-mulched soils, and plastic films were the dominant particle type, consistent with mulch film fragmentation.