PubMed · 2026-05-20
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.
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.
