The effect of soil microplastics on Oryza sativa L. root growth traits under alien plant invasion

Abstract

Invasive alien plants pose severe threats to agroecosystems. Microplastic (MP) contamination in farmland soil is also concerning, as it causes crop stress and reduces productivity. However, the effects of the interactions between invasive alien plants and MP in the soil impact crops remain unclear. Herein, belowground plant characteristics associated with stress responses were examined in a pot experiment using root scan analyzes of rice plants exposed to Solidago canadensis L. invasion, polyethylene MP contamination, and a combined treatment. The observed changes in root growth traits under Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) invasion were the least adverse, whereas S. canadensis invasion combined with soil MP contamination had the most adverse effects on root growth. Solidago canadensis L. invasion increased all belowground indices except root height and mean root diameter, which was upregulated in the soil MP contamination treatment. The combined treatment (S. canadensis invasion and soil MP contamination) reduced the belowground root growth traits more than the other treatments. The root growth traits may have been affected by changes in the antioxidant enzyme activity of the roots caused by the treatments. The combined effects of S. canadensis invasion and MP toxicity on rice root growth traits raise concerns regarding potential yields, financial damage, and consequences related to a potential move into the food web.

Microplastics increase cadmium absorption and impair nutrient uptake and growth in red amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) in the presence of cadmium and biochar

“…The high Cation Exchange Capacity of biochar enhances nutrient availability, stimulates root exudation, regulates pH levels, enhances soil structure, and facilitates mycorrhizal connections, all of which collectively promote vigorous root development [ 71 ]. Nevertheless, the introduction of MPs presents difficulties as their tangible existence might impede the growth of roots, and the chemicals emitted during decomposition may have a detrimental impact on root well-being [ 72 ]. Furthermore, MPs possess the capacity to modify the movement of water and the composition of soil microbial communities, potentially resulting in a multifaceted and detrimental impact on plant roots [ 73 ].…”

Utilizing hydrothermal time models to assess the effects of temperature and osmotic stress on maize (Zea mays L.) germination and physiological responses

“…In the germination process, mitochondrial respiration increases, producing ROS, which upregulate the antioxidant defence system [ 24 ]. The accumulation of ROS, resulting from metabolic changes in response to abiotic stress, leads to oxidative stress, which damages cell membranes (lipid peroxidation), proteins, DNA, and RNA molecules [ 25 – 28 ] and disturbs the normal germination and the establishment of juvenile seedlings. When plants undergo oxidative stress, one of their immediate responses is to eliminate excess ROS via physiological and molecular mechanisms that stimulate enzymes and non-enzymes that remove ROS [ 25 ].…”

Climate change reshapes plant trait spectrum to explain biomass dynamics in an old-growth subtropical forest

“…Systematic variations in demographic processes that underpin community assembly and dynamics over time have not provided underlying mechanistic explanations to generalize interspecific variations in response to both biotic and abiotic stresses (McGill et al, 2006;Meiners et al, 2015;Li et al, 2023). Plant functional traits that reflect life-history strategies and respond to environmental change could address this knowledge gap (McGill et al, 2006;Westoby and Wright, 2006;Adler et al, 2014;Swenson et al, 2020).…”