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Researchers have revealed that plastic mulch used to boost strawberry growth leaves behind large amounts of material fragments in the soil. Findings from the study are likely to apply to worldwide plastic use in agricultural production.
A team of scientists from California Polytechnic State University, US, surveyed strawberry fields in the state after the seasonal film removal which covers the plants. The researchers discovered up to 213,500 pieces of microplastics – particles larger than 5mm across – per hectare on field surfaces alone.
They also found that plastic pollution reduced soil moisture, microbial activity and plant-available nitrogen, essential for soil health and crop productivity.
The findings, presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Lyon, France, raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of using plastic mulch in agriculture, especially as California is the largest shedder of agricultural plastic in the US and one of the major strawberry producers in the world.
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