Effect of the interaction between mulching film microplastics and the pesticide Tebuconazole on the development of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and soil microbiota

• Grant number: 24/17526-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Walter Ruggeri Waldman
• Grantee: Glaucia Isabel de Andrade Sebastião
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias para a Sustentabilidade (CCTS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/12104-4 - Fate and impacts of microplastics and pesticides in aquatic and terrestrial matrices in agricultural contexts, AP.TEM

Abstract

The growing production and use of agricultural plastics, such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulching films, has generated significant benefits and savings for farmers, as they protect the soil and require less irrigation, fertilization and pesticide spraying. However, the intensive use and difficulty in completely removing these plastics has contributed to the contamination of soils with microplastics, potentially negatively affecting soil quality and agricultural crops. Despite the extensive evidence of the negative impacts generated by microplastics, there are still no studies investigating how different formulations of the same polymer, such as LDPE, influence the toxicity and sorption capacity of pollutants. Thus, this study aims to fill this gap by exploring how variations in pristine and degraded LDPE formulations can affect the development of the vegetative phase of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and, later on, the impacts of the interaction of mulching film combined with the fungicide Tebuconazole on the plant, microbiota and soil properties. (AU)