Effect of Soil Amendments from Antibiotic Treated Cows on Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and Genes Recovered from the Surfaces of Lettuce and Radishes: Field Study

Cattle are commonly treated with antibiotics that may survive digestion and promote antibiotic resistance when manure or composted manure is used as a soil amendment for crop production. This study was conducted to determine the effects of antibiotic administration and soil amendment practices on microbial diversity and antibiotic resistance of bacteria recovered from the surfaces of lettuce and radishes grown using recommended application rates. Vegetables were planted in field plots amended with raw manure from antibiotic-treated dairy cows, composted-manure from cows with different histories of antibiotic administration, or a chemical fertilizer control (12 plots, n=3). Culture-based methods, 16SrDNA amplicon sequencing, qPCR and shot-gun metagenomics were utilized to profile bacteria and characterize the different gene markers for antibiotic resistance. Culture-based methodologies revealed that lettuce grown in soils amended with BSAs had significantly larger clindamycin resistant populations compared to control conditions. Growth in BSAs was associated with significant changes to the bacterial community composition of radish and lettuce. Total sul1 copies were 160X more abundant on lettuce grown in manure and total tet(W) copies were 30X more abundant on radishes grown in manure. Analysis of shotgun metagenomic data revealed that lettuce grown in manure-amended soils possessed resistance genes for three additional antibiotic classes compared to other treatments. This study demonstrates that raw, antibiotic-exposed manure may alter microbiota and the antibiotic resistance genes present on vegetables. Proper composting of BSAs as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency is recommended to mitigate the spread of resistance to vegetable surfaces.

Name thesis:degree_name

MSLFS

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Food Science and Technology

Department dc:contributor.department

Food Science and Technology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Fogler, Kendall Wilson

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Ponder, Monica A.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Strawn, Laura K.
• Pruden, Amy

• Compost
• manure
• antibiotic resistance genes
• antibiotic resistant bacteria
• 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing
• metagenomics

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:13996

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/92587