Project description
The impact of microplastics on agriculture
Microplastics pollute the environment and can be ingested by animals and humans. Although microplastics can be encountered in virtually all ecosystems, most studies have focused on aquatic systems. The impact of microplastics on terrestrial ecosystems and agricultural soils remains largely unexplored. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MPBNF project will investigate how microplastics affect nitrogen fixation, a natural process essential for legume crops like soybean. Researchers will study the uptake of microplastics and how these affect nitrogen fixation and crop yields as well as plant-microbe interactions. This project will provide fundamental insight into microplastics contamination in agricultural land and help guide sustainable practices.
Objective
Microplastic contamination has emerged as a global concern and the MPs contamination in aquatic systems has been studied widely in recent years. However, the impact of MPs on the terrestrial ecosystem, especially farmland soils, and their impact on crop growth remains largely unknown. A significant knowledge gap is the impact of MPs on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), which is a key process in legume plants to acquire nitrogen fertilizer from nature. Impairment of this process will lead to reduced yield or increased chemical fertilizer input and disruption in the nitrogen cycling process. However, the effects of MPs on BNF in agriculture, particularly in a major crop food such as soybean, and its impact on crop yield, are nearly unknown. The precise quantification of microplastics in soil-plant systems is presently hampered due to the different types, shapes, and sizes of microplastics in the real environment. MPBNF is well placed to address this knowledge gap by labeling bio and non-bio-MPs with different sizes and shapes using rare earth elements, which allows us to trace the uptake of MPs in plants. Additionally, the potential pathways of impacts caused by MPs on the biological responses of BNF and soybean plants will be investigated in detail.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds legumes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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B15 2TT Birmingham
United Kingdom
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