Temporal and Agricultural Factors Influence Escherichia coli Survival in Soil and Transfer to Cucumbers.

ABSTRACT: Biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) increase nutrient levels in soils to support the production of fruits and vegetables. BSAAOs may introduce or extend the survival of bacterial pathogens which can be transferred to fruits and vegetables to cause foodborne illness. Escherichia coli survival over 120 days in soil plots (3 m2) covered with (mulched) or without plastic mulch (not mulched), amended with either poultry litter, composted poultry litter, heat-treated poultry pellets, or chemical fertilizer, and transfer to cucumbers in 2 years (2018 and 2019) were evaluated. Plots were inoculated with E. coli (8.5 log CFU/m2) and planted with cucumber seedlings (Supremo). The number of days needed to reduce E. coli levels by 4 log CFU (dpi4log) was determined using a sigmoidal de

SUBMITTER: Litt PK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8091612 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature