Microplastics and Invasive Alien Plants: A Change in Soil Ecology Deliberately Impacts the Aboveground Productivity of the Crops

Abstract

Plastic is considered an emerging agroecological pollutant while biological invasion has also become a global environmental issue. Therefore, the contamination of microplastics and the occurrence of Solidago canadensis L. invasion in the agroecosystem may be a severe hazard to soil and plant functioning, reducing yield and perhaps indirectly harming human health. Microplastic contamination adversely affects the soil ecosystems in terms of soil carbon pools and their turnover. Invasive plants compete with agronomic crops, have allelopathic effects by secreting allelochemicals, and have detrimental effects on the productivity of the crops. However, their interaction had significant negative effects on the soil as well as the crop's physiological and biochemical properties. Thus, the interactive response created a big gap in how they raise concerns about crop potential yield and entering into the food web that ultimately affects human health.