Polyester microfibers delay growth of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) throughout the lifecycle
Data files
Nov 18, 2025 version files 1.47 MB
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Code-Djuric-et-al.Rmd
24.40 KB
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Djuric_et_al_block_by_sample.csv
867 B
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Djuric_et_al_emergence_height.csv
618.54 KB
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Djuric_et_al_emergence_times.csv
16.54 KB
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Djuric_et_al_flowering_times.csv
5.15 KB
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Djuric_et_al_fruit_set.csv
4.12 KB
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Djuric_et_al_germination_biomass.csv
4.81 KB
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Djuric_et_al_plant_number_reference.csv
1.90 KB
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Djuric_et_al_reproductive_biomass.csv
3.10 KB
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Djuric_et_al_seedling_height.csv
643.59 KB
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Djuric_et_al_soil_water_holding_capacity.csv
474 B
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Djuric_et_al_treatment_reference.csv
2.63 KB
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Djuric_et_al_vegetative_biomass.csv
3.22 KB
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Djuric_et_al_vegetative_height.csv
129.84 KB
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README.md
13.06 KB
Abstract
Agroecosystems are increasingly recognized as major basins for terrestrial microplastics. Many agricultural practices have led to high loading of plastic mulch films, synthetic microfibers, and other microplastics onto fields. There is demonstrated ability for microplastics to influence soil properties and plant productivity, but these effects are highly variable by species, soil, and life stage. Here, we conduct a lifecycle assessment of how polyester microfibers, a dominant biosolid contaminant, affect the development of cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) in peaty growing medium. We distinguish the importance of physical and chemical characteristics of microfibers by comparing plants in soil containing microfibers at 0.5% soil weight, or soil watered with leachate isolated from microfibers. We find that polyester microfibers reduce emergence success by 11%, delay flowering and ripening time by several days, and lead to a reduction in biomass in adult plants. However, we observe no effect of chemical additives from microfibers on plant development. We also note a decrease in soil water holding capacity from microfibers. Overall, we conclude that physical microfiber properties or physical/chemical interactions are the likely drivers of biological effects. These findings emphasize that microfibers have impacts beyond mineral soils and consequences at every stage of plant development.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.1jwstqk6w
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset includes data from a greenhouse experiment looking at the impact of microfibers and microfiber chemical leachate on germination, growth, and fruit production in cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme). The experiment was performed at the University of Toronto in 2020-2021. There were two treatments (soil with added polyester microfibers, soil watered with leachate from polyester microfibers) and a control. The data files include information on the organization of samples into blocks in the greenhouse, the timing and success of germination, the height and above and belowground dry biomass, the timing to flowering and number of flowers produced, and the timing of fruit set, fruit development, fruit number, and dry fruit biomass, and the soil water holding capacity of soil with and without microfibers.
Djuric et al block by sample.csv: Sample codes and greenhouse block assignments for both treatments and the control (microfibers = FIB, leachate = LEA, control = CON)
Djuric et al plant number reference.csv: Sample codes and the reference plant number for the experiment.
Djuric et al treatment reference.csv: Sample codes for both treatments and the control (microfibers = FIB, leachate = LEA, control = CON)
Djuric et al emergence times.csv: Plant germination/emergence over time by pot
Djuric et al emergence height.csv: Plant germination and height over time by pot
Djuric et al flowering times.csv: Plant flowering times by pot in days since germination
Djuric et al fruit set.csv: Plant fruit number and development data (days to first yellow and days to first red) by pot in days since germination
Djuric et al reproductive biomass.csv: Plant fruit number and the dry weight of green and red fruit biomass at harvest
Djuric et al seedling height.csv: Plant growth in height at the seedling stage
Duric et al soil water holding capacity.csv: Samples of soil water holding capacity in soil with and without microplastics
Djuric et al vegetative biomass.csv: Mass in grams of above and belowground dry biomass after harvest
Djuric et al. vegetative height.csv: Plant growth in height at the adult stage
Djuric et al. germination biomass.csv : Mass in grams of aboveground biomass at end of seedling stage
Files and variables
File: Djuric_et_al_block_by_sample.csv
Description: Organization of samples by block
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- BLOCK: Block assignment in the greenhouse
File: Djuric_et_al_plant_number_reference.csv
Description: Organization of samples by unique plant number
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Unique value for identifying every plant
File: Djuric_et_al_treatment_reference.csv
Description: Organization of samples by treatment
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- TREATMENT: corresponding treatment spelled out in full
File: Djuric_et_al_emergence_times.csv
Description: Timing of germination/emergence of seedlings
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- SEED_DATE: Date the seed was planted
- SEED_TIME: Time the seed was planted
- SEED_DATETIME: Date and time the seed was planted in a single column
- FINAL_GERMSTATUS: Did the seed germinate (yes/no)?
- DAYS_TO_GERM_CLOSED: Days between planting and germination
- GERMDATE_CLOSED: Date germination was observed
- GERMTIME_CLOSED: Time germination was observed
- GERM_DATETIME_CLOSED: Date and time the germination was first observed in a single column
Blank cells within rows occur where data is not applicable.
File: Djuric_et_al_emergence_height.csv
Description: Height of emerged seedlings up until transplant
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- DATE: The date the measurement was taken
- TIME: The time the measurement was taken
- DATE_TIME: The combination of the two previous columns
- GERM_DATE: The date the plant germinated
- SEED_DATETIME: The date and time the seed was planted
- AGE: The age of the plant at the time of observation
- EXPERIMENT_DAY: The day of the experiment the measurement was taken
- GERM_STATUS_HYPOCOTYL: Is the hypocotyl being measured (yes/no)?
- GERM_STATUS_OPEN: Is the germination prior to the development of true leaves still in progress (yes/no)?
- HEIGHT: The height of the plant above the soil surface in centimeters
Blank cells within rows occur where data is not applicable.
File: Djuric_et_al_fruit_set.csv
Description: Tracking of fruit development in each pot
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- BLOCK: Block in the greenhouse
- FLOW_DATE: Date of first flowering
- GERM_DATE: Date of germination
- DAYS_TO_YELLOW: Days until yellow was visible on the fruit
- DAYS_TO_FIRST_RED: Days until red was visible on the fruit
- FIRST_YELLOW: Date that yellow was first visible on the fruit
- FIRST_RED: Date that red was first visible on the fruit
- COMMENT: Comments
Blank cells within rows occur where data is not applicable.
File: Djuric_et_al_flowering_times.csv
Description: Tracking of flowering times in each pot
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- BLOCK: Block in the greenhouse
- FLOW_DATE: Date of first flowering
- GERM_DATE: Date of germination
- DAYS_TO_FLOW: Days between emergence and flowering
File: Djuric_et_al_reproductive_biomass.csv
Description: Tracking of the dry biomass of fruits in each pot
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- HARVEST_DATE: Date the plant was harvested
- GERM_DATE: Date the plant germinated
- AGE: The age of the plant in days between germination and harvest
- RED_FRUIT_NUM: The number of ripe fruits at the time of harvest
- GREEN_FRUIT_NUM: The number of green fruits at the time of harvest
- ROOT_BIOMASS: The dry biomass of roots (belowground biomass) in grams
- SHOOT_BIOMASS: The dry biomass of shoots (aboveground biomass without fruits) in grams
- RED_FRUIT_BIOMASS: The dry biomass of red (ripe) fruit at the time of harvest in grams
- GREEN_FRUIT_BIOMASS: The dry biomass of green (unripe) fruit at the time of harvest in grams
File: Djuric_et_al_soil_water_holding_capacity.csv
Description: Data associated with a small experiment assessing the water holding capacity of potting soil with and without the addition of polyester microfibers
Variables
- POT_ID: Assigned pot number, independent of treatment
- TREATMENT: Indicated the treatment (Fiber = soil with polyester microfibers, Control = unaltered potting soil)
- TOTAL_VOLUME: The total volume of soil added to the pot in cm^3
- DRY_SOIL_WEIGHT: The dry weight of soil in grams
- VOLUME_ADDED: The total volume of water added to the pot in cm^3
- VOLUME_LEACHED: The total volume of water lost from the pot over the period of observation in cm^3
- POROSITY_AIR_PLUS_WATER: The volume of water added / the volume of soil multiplied by 100
- POROSITY_AIR: The volume of water leached / the volume of soil multiplied by 100
- WHC: The porosity of air plus water - the porosity of air
File: Djuric_et_al_vegetative_biomass.csv
Description: The dry biomass of above and belowground vegetative tissue
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- BLOCK: Sample block in the greenhouse
- GERM_DATE: Date the plant germinated
- HARVEST_DATE: Date the plant was harvested
- AGE: The age of the plant in days at the time of harvest
- SHOOT_DRY_BIOMASS: The dry weight of aboveground biomass (excluding fruits) in grams
- ROOT_DRY_BIOMASS: The dry weight below-ground biomass in grams
The blank ROOT_DRY_BIOMASS in CON_33 is missing data.
File: Djuric_et_al_seedling_height.csv
Description: Tracking the growth and leaf production for each pot throughout the experiment
Variables
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- DATE: The date the measurement was taken
- TIME: The time the measurement was taken
- DATE_TIME: The combination of the two previous columns
- GERM_DATE: The date the plant germinated
- SEED_DATETIME: The date and time the seed was planted
- AGE: The age of the plant at the time of observation
- EXPERIMENT_DAY: The day of the experiment, the measurement was taken
- GERM_STATUS_HYPOCOTYL: Is the hypocotyl being measured (yes/no)?
- GERM_STATUS_OPEN: Is the germination prior to the development of true leaves still in progress (yes/no)?
- HEIGHT: The height of the plant above the soil surface in centimeters
- LEAF_NUM: The number of leaves visible on the plant
- COT_CHANGE: Indicated a change in the number of visible cotyledons
- MAX_LEAF_NUM: The maximum number of leaves observed on the day of measurement
Blank cells occur where data is not applicable due to a plant not having reached the appropriate growth stage yet.
File: Djuric_et_al_vegetative_height.csv
Description: Tracking the height of plants after seedling transplant
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- BLOCK: Sample block in the greenhouse
- GERM_DATE: The date the plant germinated
- DATE: The date the measurement was taken
- AGE: The age of the plant at the time of observation
- HEIGHT: The height of the plant above the soil surface in centimeters
File: Djuric_et_al_germination_biomass.csv
Description: The dry biomass in grams of aboveground biomass at transplant out of seed starters
- PLANT_ID: Sample ID (CON = control, FIB = polyester microfiber treatment, LEA = leachate treatment)
- PLANT_NUM: Plant number assignment
- TREATMENT: Sample type (plant grown in soil with polyester microfibers, plant grown in soil watered with leachate made from polyester microfibers, plant grown in potting soil with no additions)
- GERM_DATE: The date the plant germinated
- HARVEST_DATE: The date the plant was destructively sampled
- AGE: The age of the plant at the time of observation
- BRANCH_NUM: The number of plant leaves
- TOTAL_BIOMASS: The biomass in grams of the plant at destructive harvest.
Blank values represent missing data.
Code/software
We executed all graphs and analyses in RStudio version 1.4.1717, and ran models with the ‘lme4’ and ‘lmerTest’ packages in R unless otherwise specified. All graphs were produced in ggplot2.
File: Code-Djuric-et-al.Rmd
Description: The key code used to analyze and visualize data in the manuscript (emergence success, biomass, height, phenology, and soil properties). All csv files needed to run this code are included.