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Effect of Volumetric Water Content and Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) on the Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a Soil Matrix

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Abstract

Studies aimed at understanding Escherichia coli O157:H7 soil survival dynamics are paramount due to their inevitable introduction into the organic vegetable production systems via animal manure-based fertilizer. Therefore, a greenhouse study was conducted to determine the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in highly controlled soil matrices subjected to two variable environmental stressors: (1) soil volumetric water content (25 or 45 % VWC), and (2) the growth of clover (planted or unplanted). During the 7-week study, molecular-based qPCR analyses revealed that E. coli O157:H7 survival was significantly lower in soils maintained at either near water-holding capacity (45 % VWC) or under clover growth. The significant reduction under clover growth was only observed when E. coli populations were determined relative to all bacteria, indicating the need to further study the competition between E. coli O157:H7 and the total bacterial community in organic soils. Given the significant effect of clover on E. coli O157:H7 survival under different moisture conditions in this greenhouse-based study, this work highlights the antimicrobial potential of clover exudates in arable soils, and future work should concentrate on their specific mechanisms of inhibition; ultimately leading to the development of crop rotations/production systems to improve pre-harvest food safety and security in minimally processed, ready-to-eat and organic production systems.

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Abbreviations

VWC:

Volumetric water content

qPCR:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

EC/TB:

E. coli O157:H7/total bacteria

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jim Hunt and Peggy Pinette for their assistance throughout the study, including the sampling and sample analyses. This research was part of USDA-ARS National Program 216: Agricultural System Competitiveness and Sustainability: ARS Project 1915-62660-001-00D “Enhancing Sustainability of Food Systems in the Northeast”.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Poultry Processing and Swine Physiology Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 950 College Station Rd., Athens, GA, 30605, USA

    Michael J. Rothrock Jr.

  2. Greenhouse Production Research Group, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2801 W. Bancroft St., MS 604, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA

    Jonathan M. Frantz

  3. Department of Plant, Soil, & Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Stephanie Burnett

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  1. Michael J. Rothrock Jr.
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Correspondence to Michael J. Rothrock Jr..

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Rothrock, M.J., Frantz, J.M. & Burnett, S. Effect of Volumetric Water Content and Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) on the Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a Soil Matrix. Curr Microbiol 65, 272–283 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-012-0142-3

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