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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Competency of groundwater recharge of irrigated cotton field subjacent to sowing methods, plastic mulch, water productivity, and yield under climate change
ClearEffects 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 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.
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.
The persistently breaking trade-offs of three-decade plastic film mulching: Microplastic pollution, soil degradation and reduced cotton yield
A study of cotton fields in northwest China with 3-32 years of continuous plastic mulch use found that microplastic abundance in soil increased exponentially with mulching duration, while soil physical properties degraded and cotton root traits and yields declined in heavily mulched plots. The results challenge the assumed economic trade-off of plastic mulching, suggesting decades of cumulative MP pollution eventually costs more in yield than it provides in early-season benefits.
Microplastic contamination in cotton soils following long-term mulching: A field study for the Xinjiang production and construction corps in China
Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation across agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China — a major mulch film use region — finding that microplastic abundance positively correlates with mulching duration and that geographical and social factors drive north-south differences in contamination levels.
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.
Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance and soil organic carbon in a cotton field
Researchers compared microplastic accumulation in topsoil after years of conventional polyethylene versus biodegradable film mulching in Chinese cotton fields. Despite biodegradable films being designed to break down, soils under biodegradable mulching had comparable microplastic counts to conventional mulching after multiple seasons, raising questions about whether bioplastic mulches truly reduce field microplastic pollution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Influences of land use and depth profile on the characteristics of microplastics in agricultural soils
Researchers examined how land use and soil depth profile influence microplastic characteristics in agricultural soils, finding that wastewater and sludge application, plastic mulching, and atmospheric deposition are key sources, and that MP type and abundance vary with soil management practice and depth, highlighting the importance of vertical distribution in soil MP studies.
Distribution of soil water and nitrate in furrow irrigation under different plastic mulch placement conditions for a maize crop: Field and modelling study
This study examined how the placement of plastic mulch in furrow irrigation systems affects soil water distribution and nitrate leaching in maize fields. While plastic mulch improves crop yields, its fragmentation over time is a recognized source of agricultural microplastic pollution.
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.
Modelling the effect of microplastics on soil capillary and film water content and flow
Researchers used physical modelling to investigate how microplastics of different polymer types — including PBAT, LDPE, and others — affect soil capillary and film water content and flow, finding that MP presence alters pore-scale water dynamics in ways that influence subsurface water storage and plant water uptake.
[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.
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.
Microplastic Accumulation in Agricultural Soils with Different Mulching Histories in Xinjiang, China
Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils of Xinjiang, China increases significantly with mulching history, with fields mulched for over 20 years containing substantially more microplastics across all soil layers.
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.
Degradable film mulching increases soil carbon sequestration in major Chinese dryland agroecosystems
Researchers compared biodegradable and conventional plastic film mulches used in farming and found that biodegradable films increased carbon storage in soil while traditional plastic mulch reduced it, suggesting that switching to biodegradable alternatives could help fight climate change while cutting plastic pollution.
Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance, soil structure and organic carbon in a cotton field
Researchers compared microplastic levels in cotton fields after 23 years of plastic film mulching and found that switching to biodegradable film actually produced more total microplastics than continuing with conventional polyethylene film. The biodegradable film broke down into many small particles that also reduced beneficial soil microbes and dissolved organic carbon. This challenges the idea that biodegradable agricultural films are a simple solution to farmland plastic pollution.
Estimating the potential of climatic factors for global generation of microplastics from agricultural plastic films
Researchers combined national agricultural plastic film usage data with emission factor models and Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the global generation of microplastics from agricultural films. The resulting estimates highlight the large but uncertain scale of this contamination source for soil and food security.
The Effects of Biodegradable Mulch Film on the Growth, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of Cotton and Maize in an Arid Region
Biodegradable mulch film maintained crop growth and water use efficiency comparable to conventional polyethylene film in Chinese cotton and maize fields for the first 60 days, then began to degrade. Replacing conventional plastic mulch with biodegradable alternatives could reduce microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Assessment of microplastic ecological risk and environmental carrying capacity of agricultural soils based on integrated characterization: A case study
Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in agricultural soils of the Tarim River Basin in China, finding concentrations ranging from 0 to 4,000 particles per kilogram. Polyethylene and polypropylene from agricultural mulch films and drip irrigation were the dominant plastics found. Early warning models predict that polyethylene and polypropylene levels may approach environmental carrying capacity thresholds in the near future, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to manage plastic pollution in farming regions.