Microplastic pollution in agriculture through plastic mulching

Plastic mulching or agricultural film cover has been used in agricultural practices worldwide to increase agricultural productivity and protect against water shortages and wind erosion. However, certain problems arise due to the increase in pesticide run-off, the use of plastic additives and the occurrence of plastic residues leading to microplastic pollution. Other adverse effects include changes in soil quality, potential reductions in soil organic matter stocks and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Nº 103

Xinjiang Uygur

some attempts made
past case
Region-1
Region-2
Region-3
Region-4
ongoing case
no attempts made

None

Microplastic pollution in agriculture through plastic mulching

Plastic mulching or agricultural film cover has been used in agricultural practices worldwide to increase agricultural productivity and protect against water shortages and wind erosion. However, certain problems arise due to the increase in pesticide run-off, the use of plastic additives and the occurrence of plastic residues leading to microplastic pollution. Other adverse effects include changes in soil quality, potential reductions in soil organic matter stocks and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

Approximately 84% of farmland in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region uses plastic mulch to improve crop productivity. However, this practice raises a number of concerns. For example, it results in the deposition of approximately eighteen kilograms of plastic mulch per hectare per year on Chinese farmland. This leads to additional problems such as soil degradation and uneven distribution of soil moisture. In addition, the presence of plastic film residues contributes to the depletion of soil nutrients in the region.

Dong, H., Liu, T., Li, Y., Liu, H., & Wang, D. (2013). Effects of plastic film residue on cotton yield and soil physical and chemical properties in Xinjiang. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 29 (8). 

Xiong, Y., Zhang, Q., Chen, X., Bao, A., Zhang, J., & Wang, Y. (2019). Large Scale Agricultural Plastic Mulch Detecting and Monitoring with Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China. Remote Sensing, 1-25. doi:10.3390/rs11182088.

Steinmetz Z, Wollmann C, Schaefer M, Buchmann C, David J, Tröger J, Muñoz K, Frör O, Schaumann GE 2016: Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation? The Science of the Total Environment, 550, 690–705, DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.153

Wissenschaftliche Dienste Deutscher Bundestag) 2020: Verwendung und Auswirkungen des Folientunnelanbaus. WD 5 – 3000 – 043/20, 21 S.