Antibiotic Uptake by Vegetable Crops from Manure-Applied Soils

View the project final report

• 2009 annual report
• 2010 annual report

Commodities

• Vegetables: cabbages, carrots, garlic, onions, peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet corn, tomatoes
• Animals: swine, poultry

Practices

• Animal Production: feed additives, manure management
• Crop Production: organic fertilizers
• Production Systems: organic agriculture
• Soil Management: composting
• Sustainable Communities: urban agriculture

Since their discovery, antibiotics have been instrumental in treating infectious diseases that were previously known to kill humans and animals. However, their widespread use as a feed additive in food animal production has raised concerns on the development of antibiotic resistance bacteria in the environment and the appearance of antibiotics in the food and water supply. The main pathway for these impacts is when manure containing antibiotics is land applied. The goal of this study is to determine the extent of antibiotic uptake by vegetable crops from soils that have been fertilized with antibiotic laden turkey manure and hog manure, both fresh and after composting.

Specific objectives are:
(1) to test the extent of antibiotics (chlortetracycline, tylosin, and sulfamethazine) uptake by eleven vegetable crops (spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, radish, onion, garlic, tomatoes, green pepper, sweet corn and potatoes) from two different textured soils that have been fertilized with antibiotic-containing turkey manure and hog manure,
(2) to document the differences in antibiotic uptake by vegetables that have been fertilized with fresh vs. composted turkey and hog manures, and
(3) to document the presence or absence of antibiotics in certified organic vs. conventional commercial vegetables that have been grown in manure applied soils.