Impact of conventional and degradable plastic mulches on substrate microbial communities and strawberry yield

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Abstract
Plastic mulching provides clear benefits for strawberry cultivation but pose risks of long-term environmental pollution. However, a comprehensive investigation on how different plastic materials may impact the overall strawberry cultivation, from soil health to crop productivity, is lacking. This study investigates the influence of conventional and degradable mulching films on substrate microbial ecology, concurrently evaluating plant performance and fruit quality in a strawberry cultivation. Different mulch films were applied and compared to unmulched control: polyethylene (PE), oxo-degradable (OxoPE), polybutylene adipate terephthalate corn starch-blended (PBAT), polypropylene (PP). Substrate physicochemical analysis and 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing were performed, along with plant morphological and physiological analysis, strawberries yield and quality. PBAT promotes substrate nitrogen enrichment, whereas PE induced an increase in available micronutrients. Bacterial community α-diversity increased in the presence of OxoPE, PE, and PP films, while β-diversity analysis revealed a distinct clustering based on film type, with the biodegradable PBAT communities separating from the others materials. This separation was driven by gradients of humidity and nitrate, with OxoPE, PE, and PP communities positively correlated with higher humidity. Functional predictions suggest that PE mulches boost nitrogen-fixing communities, whereas PBAT promotes nitrification and complex carbon catabolism. At plant level, OxoPE and PP significantly increased fruit yield up to 29% compared to the control, while physiological and growth traits remained consistent across treatments, as well as fruit quality and nutraceutical properties. This study demonstrates that distinct mulches uniquely promote substrate biodiversity by shaping specialized, functional bacterial communities.

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