Foodborne disease outbreaks linked to the consumption of fresh produce have caused farmers to re-evaluate their practices. A recent analysis of a 27-year experiment comparing organic and conventional soil management indicates that animal-based composts do not promote pathogen survival and may even promote bacterial communities that suppress pathogens.
The study, which is published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, comes following other research documenting a higher prevalence of foodborne pathogens in fields fertilized with raw animal manure compared with conventional fertilizers.
“Our findings suggest that abandoning animal-based composts should be reconsidered, both because of the known benefits of composts for soil health and because it may be possible to apply amendments so that food-safety risks are mitigated rather than exacerbated,” said lead author Naresh Devarajan, PhD, of the University of California, Davis.
Additional Information
Link to Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jam.15054
About Journal
Journal of Applied Microbiology publishes high quality full-length research and review papers on novel aspects of applied microbiology in relation to agriculture and soils, animals and animal health, biodefence, biotransformation, biodegradation and bioremediation, biotechnology (except where the principal thrust of the work is optimization), environment, food and beverages, medicine and public health, mycology (except where work is concerned with the macro-fungi), pharmacy, plants and plant health, probiotics and the intestine and water of all types.
About Wiley
Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.