Soil and crop health determined by plastic type, size and concentration in a mesocosm study

We carried out a greenhouse experiment to determine the effect of plastic on key soil (water content, microbial diversity, soil nutrient content, enzyme activity) and plant properties (growth, chlorophyll content, nutrient content) that indicate health. Maize (Zea mays L.) was grown over eight weeks in agricultural soil with different plastic types (LDPE, PP), sizes (macro and micro) and concentrations (equivalent of 1, 10, 25 and 50 years accumulation of plastic mulch film use)