Synergistic fungal consortia enhance maize growth and soil biological functions under microplastic stress.
Khan Z, Haider G, Adnan F, Sheikh Z, Bhatti MF
Soil Health
Compost and garden soil increasingly contain microplastics from mulch films, plastic-wrapped produce, and synthetic textiles — and this study shows those invisible particles are quietly suppressing the soil fungi and root chemistry your vegetables depend on to thrive.
Tiny plastic particles breaking down in garden and farm soil don't just sit there harmlessly — they stress corn plants so badly that growth, root development, and even the plant's ability to handle normal cellular wear all decline. Scientists tested two fungi that naturally live in healthy soil and found that applying them together acted like a rescue team: they calmed the plant's stress response, restored normal root chemistry, and helped beneficial soil microbes recover. This suggests that nurturing the right fungal community in contaminated soil could be a practical, chemical-free way to protect crops.
Key Findings
PET microplastic exposure caused significant declines in maize biomass, chlorophyll content, and root development, alongside measurable increases in oxidative stress and cell membrane damage.
Combined inoculation with Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Metarhizium anisopliae outperformed either fungus alone, more effectively suppressing reactive oxygen species and restoring antioxidant balance under microplastic stress.
The fungal consortium also improved soil-level outcomes — enhancing nitrogen cycling, stimulating key soil enzymes, and promoting a more diverse and active microbial community in microplastic-contaminated soil.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that microplastic pollution from plastic bottles (PET) seriously harms corn crops and the soil life around them, but inoculating plants with two naturally occurring beneficial fungi together — Trichoderma and Metarhizium — largely reversed that damage, outperforming either fungus used alone.
Abstract Preview
Polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs) contamination in agricultural soils is an emerging global concern because these persistent particles disrupt soil structure, nutrient dynamics, an...
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Maize, also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. The leafy stalk of the plant gives rise to male inflorescences or tassels which produce pollen, and female inflorescences called ears. The ears yield grain, known as kernels or seeds. In modern ...