Intensive vegetable production under plastic mulch: A field study on soil plastic and pesticide residues and their effects on the soil microbiome

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 900; p. 165179
• Main Authors: Beriot, Nicolas, Zornoza, Raúl, Lwanga, Esperanza Huerta, Zomer, Paul, van Schothorst, Benjamin, Ozbolat, Onurcan, Lloret, Eva, Ortega, Raúl, Miralles, Isabel, Harkes, Paula, van Steenbrugge, Joris, Geissen, Violette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 20-11-2023
• Subjects: Agriculture contamination; Intensive vegetable production; Microplastic; Pesticides residues; Plastic mulch; Soil microbiome; Pesticides residues; Agriculture contamination; Soil microbiome; Plastic mulch; Microplastic; Intensive vegetable production
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165179

Intensive agriculture relies on external inputs to reach high productivity and profitability. Plastic mulch, mainly in the form of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), is widely used in agriculture to decrease evaporation, increase soil temperature and prevent weeds. The incomplete removal of LDPE mulch after use causes plastic contamination in agricultural soils. In conventional agriculture, the use of pesticides also leaves residues accumulating in soils. Thus, the objective of this study was to measure plastic and pesticide residues in agricultural soils and their effects on the soil microbiome. For this, we sampled soil (0–10 cm and 10–30 cm) from 18 parcels from 6 vegetable farms in SE Spain. The farms were under either organic or conventional management, where plastic mulch had been used for >25 years. We measured the macro- and micro-light density plastic debris contents, the pesticide residue levels, and a range of physiochemical properties. We also carried out DNA sequencing on the soil fungal and bacterial communities. Plastic debris (>100 μm) was found in all samples with an average number of 2 × 103 particles kg−1 and area of 60 cm2 kg−1. We found 4–10 different pesticide residues in all conventional soils, for an average of 140 μg kg−1. Overall, pesticide content was ∼100 times lower in organic farms. The soil microbiomes were farm-specific and related to different soil physicochemical parameters and contaminants. Regarding contaminants, bacterial communities responded to the total pesticide residues, the fungicide Azoxystrobin and the insecticide Chlorantraniliprole as well as the plastic area. The fungicide Boscalid was the only contaminant to influence the fungal community. The wide spread of plastic and pesticide residues in agricultural soil and their effects on soil microbial communities may impact crop production and other environmental services. More studies are required to evaluate the total costs of intensive agriculture.
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•Assessment of plastic and pesticide residues and the soil microbiome from vegetable farms.•All soil samples contained plastic residues, ∼2 × 103 particles kg−1 ∼60 cm2 kg−1.•All soils under conventional farming contained >4 pesticide residues.•Records of pesticide and plastic mulch use did not predict soil residue content.•Plastic debris and pesticide residues contributed to soil microbiome variations.