Respostas morfofisiológicas de tomateiros (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom) à exposição de microplásticos

Abstract

Plastics have become a central problem in society, largely due to the increasing amount of waste generated by the world's population. Polyethylene, in particular, is one of the main polymeric materials used today, playing a central role in industry and in everyday life. However, the incorrect disposal of this material has direct repercussions on the environment and the organisms that live in it. Although plants are organisms that are especially susceptible to environmental changes, little is known about the dynamics of microplastic pollution and the influence of these materials on ecosystemic processes, especially with regards to plant development. In this context, the tomato (Solanum lycoperiscum L.) is one of the most important plant species from a socioeconomic, cultural and scientific point of view. In particular, the Micro-Tom variety has been widely used as a model in the field of science due to its relatively short crop cycle and easy handling. Therefore, in the light of the aforementioned information, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of the application of polyethylene fibers in the substrate on the development of tomato plants. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments (control substrate without polyethylene microfibers, 0,6% m/m and 2,4% m/m microfibers of polyethylene) and seven repetitions per treatment. The following growth parameters were observed: stem diameter and root, shoots, leaves and fruits dry mass. The presence of microplastics did not have any repercussions on the parameters related to biomass allocation, but favored the increase in stem thickness, probably due to the expansion of the caliber of the conducting vessels. The data allows us to conclude that polyethylene alters the water dynamics of the soil, but, ultimately, doesn't have high phytotoxicity for the tomato crop.