Plastics in the Environment: Enhancing carbon sequestration and crop production

环境中的塑料在世界各地的环境和政治议程中普遍处于优先地位，但以塑料地膜形式在农业中的使用继续增长，现在已成为世界各地许多作物生产的组成部分。与使用塑料有关的主要问题之一是塑料在使用后的处置。这可以通过设计它们使其自然生物降解来解决。生物降解地膜用于促进和保护田间出现的高价值、长季作物，以提高产品的产量和质量。然而，目前很少考虑塑料的化学性质，而不仅仅是它广泛的生物降解性特性，以及它可能给农业环境带来的好处。例如，如果配方正确，它实际上可以通过提供可被土壤微生物隔离的有益碳、以缓释方式提供除草剂和杀虫剂、使其更有效和对环境友好，或者作为向土壤输送养分的机制，从而使土壤受益。该项目将探索一个独特的机会，通过操纵可生物降解塑料薄膜的化学配方来开发为作物和环境带来额外好处的潜力，以提高土壤质量和作物营养，这是现代农业面临的两个最大挑战。通过与布里斯托尔大学和Rothamsted Research的研究专业知识相结合，将提供先进实验室技术、受控环境研究和田间试验方面的培训，这意味着学生将获得广泛的土壤科学技能和技术专长，但也将在其他科学研究领域或非学术职业道路上获得。

Plastics in the environment are high on environmental and political agendas around the world generally in a negative context, but their use in agriculture in the form of plastic mulch films continues to grow and are now integral in theproduction of many crops worldwide. One of the main problems associated with the use of plastics is their disposal after use. This can be addressed by designing them so that they naturally biodegrade. Biodegradable plastic mulch film is used to accelerate and protect emergent high value and long season crops in-field to improve product yield and quality. However, scarce consideration is currently given to the chemical properties of the plastic beyond its broad biodegradability properties and the benefits it might be able to give to the agricultural environment. For example, given the correct formulation, it could actually benefit soils by providing beneficial carbon which can be sequestered by soil microbes, deliver herbicides and pesticides in slow release fashion, making them more efficient and environmentally friendly, or as a mechanism for delivering nutrients to soils. This project will explore a unique opportunity to exploit the potential to deliver additional benefits to the crop and environment through the manipulation of the chemical formulation of biodegradable plastic films for the enhancement of soil quality and crop nutrition, which are two of the greatest challenges facing modern day agriculture. Through working with a combination of research expertise at University of Bristol and Rothamsted Research, training in advanced laboratory techniques, controlled environment studies and field trials will be provided, meaning the student will acquire a wide range of skills and technical expertise in soil science, but also within other areas of scientific research or non-academic career paths.