Projects / Programmes
Does the presence of microplastics effect the copper dynamic in contaminated vineyard soils?
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.08.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Control and care of the environment |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
microplastics, copper, soil, soil microorganisms, copper mobility, viticulture
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
35364 |
PhD Erika Jež |
Control and care of the environment |
Head |
2021 - 2023 |
36 |
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
1540 |
University of Nova Gorica |
Nova Gorica |
5920884000 |
14,068 |
Abstract
In the last decade, the production of plastics has steadily increased, and with it the use of plastics in viticulture. In the Vipava Valley, a research area of the project, plastic cords are a very important source of plastic in vineyards, especially in the first three years after planting the vines. The most problematic emission of plastic into the new vineyard surface is the use of PP synthetic raffia. After the one-year growing season, it is usually mulched along with woody branches and mixed into the top soil layer. Over time, when larger pieces of plastic are released into the environment, mechanical forces and environmental factors break them into small (<5 mm) particles called microplastics (MPs), which cause serious problems in the physical and chemical properties of the soil and alter the activity and structure of microorganisms in the soil. To my knowledge, there are not many studies that evaluate the abundance of MPs in soil, moreover, there are no studies that evaluate the abundance of MPs in vineyard soils, therefore, further development in this field is still required. After all, viticulture is an agricultural practise in many countries around the world and also in Slovenia. The regular use of Cu-based fungicides, in particular in organic viticulture, to protect vine plants from these pests has led to a long-term accumulation of Cu in vineyard top soils, reaching concentrations far above the trace levels required for healthy plant growth even in the absence of microplastic particles in the soil. Understanding the changes in soil Cu dynamics caused by microplastic particles is still completely unknown and represents a major ecological challenge for the future. Therefore, the aim of my research project are (1) to study changes in fractionation, bioavailability and mobility of Cu in vineyard soils in the presence of microplastics (PP and PVC); (2) to study changes in the activity and structure of microbiological communities in vineyard soils in the presence of microplastic particles (PP and PVC); (3) to study the presence / abundance of microplastic particles in Vipava vineyards as a function of vineyard age and soil depth. This project will be interdisciplinary: the results will have a significant impact on the development of research in the field of pedology (soil pollution with heavy metals) and in the field of soil microbiology. It will provide a new insight into the potential impact of microplastic particles entering the soil. As the research will be carried out on vineyard soils, the results will be of direct benefit to society, in particular to organic winegrowers for whom copper-based fungicides are one of the few effective plant protection products.
