Synergistic Impacts of Microplastic Pollution and Climate Extremes on Crop Productivity: Multi-Omics Insights and CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Mitigation Strategies
Peter Makieu
*
Department of Agribusiness Management, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Njala University, Sierra Leone.
Fatmata Dankay Kamara
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
Mohamed Yansaneh
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
Mohamed Jalloh
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
Keifala Mohamed Amara
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
Sahr Stephen Newah
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
Matonya Maxmilian Isaya
School of Environmental Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Province, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Convergent environmental pressures, including accelerating climate extremes and pervasive microplastic contamination of agricultural soils, pose compounding threats to global crop productivity that remain poorly characterized at the mechanistic level. In this PRISMA-compliant systematic review of 142 peer-reviewed studies (2015–2026), we integrate multi-omics evidence (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to elucidate molecular reprogramming underlying the combined effects of drought, heat, and microplastic stress in major crops. Polyethylene microplastics reduce soil water-holding capacity and increase ammonia volatilization by up to 33.9%, while nanoplastic uptake induces reactive oxygen species accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Key transcription factor families, including DREB, NAC, and MYB, emerge as central regulatory hubs under dual stress. We propose a tripartite mitigation framework that (i) leverages CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of stress-responsive loci (OST2, SAPK2, ARGOS8, BnaA9.NF-YA7) for intrinsic resilience; (ii) implements IoT-enabled precision irrigation and hyperspectral monitoring for real-time stress management; and (iii) employs biochar-assisted physical sorption and synthetic microbial communities to restore soil health. This integrative synthesis provides actionable guidance for experimental validation, identifies priority CRISPR targets, and highlights knowledge gaps in long-term microplastic degradation and stress interaction, offering a mechanistic and translational roadmap for developing climate- and microplastic-resilient crops.
Keywords: Microplastic pollution, climate extremes, crop productivity, multi-omics, reactive oxygen species, biochar.