Microplastics & Plant Nutrition

Conventional and biodegradable microplastics (MPs) alter wheat nutrient dynamics during critical growth stages (jointing, booting, harvest) by disrupting soil C/N/P cycling through enzyme-microbial interactions and reshaping root-stem-leaf stoichiometry. Comparative analyses reveal distinct inhibition mechanisms between MPs types at soil-plant interfaces. Strategic fertilization (organic/inorganic blends, slow-release fertilizers) demonstrates potential to decouple MPs-soil interactions and alleviate crop stress. The work innovatively exposes biodegradable MPs' amplified ecological risks through biogeochemical-plant physiological linkages, while establishing a phenology-based mitigation framework to guide precision management of farmland MP pollution.