Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Microplastic-Induced Plant Stress

Overview

Microplastic contamination in agricultural soils threatens crop productivity, reducing photosynthesis by 7-12% and potentially lowering yields by 4 -14% over the next 25 years. This study investigated whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can mitigate microplastic-induced plant stress and whether protection depends on direct plant-fungi symbiosis. The research compared lettuce (mycorrhizal) and radish (non-mycorrhizal) plants across four treatments: Control (soil only), Microplastic (1.5% w/w), AMF (7% w/w), and Mix (microplastic and AMF). All treatments were grown for five weeks under controlled conditions. Weekly measurements included plant height and stem thickness; final measurements included root length and thickness. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of plastic, fungi, and their interaction on plant growth metrics. Results showed microplastics significantly reduced growth in both plant species. The linear regression model revealed distinct responses. In lettuce (mycorrhizal), the interaction coefficient (β₃), which measures whether AMF provides additional benefit when combined with microplastics, was significantly positive for height (β₃ = 4.44 cm, p = 0.056) and root length (β₃ = 5.25 cm, p = 0.055), with p < 0.10 indicating high confidence. AMF recovered approximately 4-5 cm of growth lost to microplastic stress. Conversely, radish (non-mycorrhizal) showed no significant interaction for height (β₃ = 0.85 cm, p = 0.674) or root length (β₃ = 4.4 cm, p = 0.391), with high p-values indicating random variation. These findings confirm that AMF reduces microplastic impacts only in species forming symbiotic relationships, providing insights for targeted biological remediation in contaminated agricultural systems.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Plant Biology (Junior Division) · Entry J-18-07

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