Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism
Microplastic (MP) contamination in agricultural soils is an emerging global concern, with levels in China’s paddy soils ranging from 1300 to over 15,000 particles kg−1, and up to 40,000 particles kg−1 in farmland. This pollution threatens sustainable agriculture by impairing plant growth and disrupt...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Plant Stress |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001848 |
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| author | Muhammad Afzal Xiyu Tan Yihang Ouyang Yihang Chen Qihua Liang Mehmood Jan Arif Ali Khattak Xiaolin Wang Xiaoyuan Chen Xiaoying Zhang Zhiyuan Tan |
| author_facet | Muhammad Afzal Xiyu Tan Yihang Ouyang Yihang Chen Qihua Liang Mehmood Jan Arif Ali Khattak Xiaolin Wang Xiaoyuan Chen Xiaoying Zhang Zhiyuan Tan |
| author_sort | Muhammad Afzal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastic (MP) contamination in agricultural soils is an emerging global concern, with levels in China’s paddy soils ranging from 1300 to over 15,000 particles kg−1, and up to 40,000 particles kg−1 in farmland. This pollution threatens sustainable agriculture by impairing plant growth and disrupting plant-microbe interactions. This study evaluated the remediation potential of bacteria with MPs (Bac_MP), biochar with MPs (Bcr_MP), and bacteria plus biochar with MPs (BBM) in paddy soils, assessing their effects on rice (Oryza sativa L.) physiology, soil biochemistry, rhizosphere microbiome, and metabolome. Using qPCR, high-throughput sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics, we examined gene expression, microbial diversity, and metabolomic profiles. BBM significantly enhanced plant growth, increasing shoot fresh and dry weights by 115 % and 161 %, respectively, and raised protein content to 39 nmol g⁻¹ fresh weight. It mitigated oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde levels and moderately increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Soil phosphorus availability increased 2.41-fold, with significant improvements in nitrification (p ≤ 0.05). BBM upregulated nitrogen transporter genes OsNTR1.1 and OsNTR1.2 by 13- and 10.5-fold, and phosphorus transporter genes OsPT1 and OsPT8 by 12- and 9-fold. Microbiome and metabolome analyses revealed enrichment of beneficial bacterial and fungal phyla, including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, along with key metabolites linked to nutrient cycling and stress tolerance. The bacterial genus Bacillus increased in all treatments, with Kaistobacter, Anaerolinea, and Flavisolibacter enriched under BBM. Notably, the fungal genus Humicola increased 41-fold. These findings highlight BBM as a promising strategy for remediating MP-contaminated soils, improving soil fertility, and supporting sustainable agriculture. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9769c1b3bb894f81a074ab941fc9f2a7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-064X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plant Stress |
| spelling | doaj-art-9769c1b3bb894f81a074ab941fc9f2a72025-08-23T04:49:27ZengElsevierPlant Stress2667-064X2025-09-011710091610.1016/j.stress.2025.100916Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolismMuhammad Afzal0Xiyu Tan1Yihang Ouyang2Yihang Chen3Qihua Liang4Mehmood Jan5Arif Ali Khattak6Xiaolin Wang7Xiaoyuan Chen8Xiaoying Zhang9Zhiyuan Tan10College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, ChinaCollege of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Corresponding author.Microplastic (MP) contamination in agricultural soils is an emerging global concern, with levels in China’s paddy soils ranging from 1300 to over 15,000 particles kg−1, and up to 40,000 particles kg−1 in farmland. This pollution threatens sustainable agriculture by impairing plant growth and disrupting plant-microbe interactions. This study evaluated the remediation potential of bacteria with MPs (Bac_MP), biochar with MPs (Bcr_MP), and bacteria plus biochar with MPs (BBM) in paddy soils, assessing their effects on rice (Oryza sativa L.) physiology, soil biochemistry, rhizosphere microbiome, and metabolome. Using qPCR, high-throughput sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics, we examined gene expression, microbial diversity, and metabolomic profiles. BBM significantly enhanced plant growth, increasing shoot fresh and dry weights by 115 % and 161 %, respectively, and raised protein content to 39 nmol g⁻¹ fresh weight. It mitigated oxidative stress by reducing malondialdehyde levels and moderately increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Soil phosphorus availability increased 2.41-fold, with significant improvements in nitrification (p ≤ 0.05). BBM upregulated nitrogen transporter genes OsNTR1.1 and OsNTR1.2 by 13- and 10.5-fold, and phosphorus transporter genes OsPT1 and OsPT8 by 12- and 9-fold. Microbiome and metabolome analyses revealed enrichment of beneficial bacterial and fungal phyla, including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota, along with key metabolites linked to nutrient cycling and stress tolerance. The bacterial genus Bacillus increased in all treatments, with Kaistobacter, Anaerolinea, and Flavisolibacter enriched under BBM. Notably, the fungal genus Humicola increased 41-fold. These findings highlight BBM as a promising strategy for remediating MP-contaminated soils, improving soil fertility, and supporting sustainable agriculture.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001848Microbially charged biocharMicroplastic contaminationPaddy soilNitrogen transformationPhosphorus solubilizationRhizosphere microbiome |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Afzal Xiyu Tan Yihang Ouyang Yihang Chen Qihua Liang Mehmood Jan Arif Ali Khattak Xiaolin Wang Xiaoyuan Chen Xiaoying Zhang Zhiyuan Tan Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism Plant Stress Microbially charged biochar Microplastic contamination Paddy soil Nitrogen transformation Phosphorus solubilization Rhizosphere microbiome |
| title | Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| title_full | Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| title_fullStr | Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| title_short | Bacterial-charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| title_sort | bacterial charged biochar enhances plant growth and mitigates microplastic toxicity by altering microbial communities and soil metabolism |
| topic | Microbially charged biochar Microplastic contamination Paddy soil Nitrogen transformation Phosphorus solubilization Rhizosphere microbiome |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667064X25001848 |
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