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Title: EFFECTS OF SOIL TILLAGE AND RAINFALL ON LEACHING OF TWO BACTERIAL PATHOGENS THROUGH SOIL BLOCKS

Author
item WANG, P - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.
item YU, W - CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCI.
item RAMIREZ, N - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.
item WARD, L - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.
item LE JUNE, J - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.
item Shipitalo, Martin
item DICK, W - THE OHIO STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2003
Publication Date: 11/4/2003
Citation: WANG, P., YU, W., RAMIREZ, N.E., WARD, L., LE JUNE, J.T., SHIPITALO, M.J., DICK, W.A. EFFECTS OF SOIL TILLAGE AND RAINFALL ON LEACHING OF TWO BACTERIAL PATHOGENS THROUGH SOIL BLOCKS. ASA-CSSA-SSSA ANNUAL MEETING ABSTRACTS. 2003. CD-ROM. S06-Wang198667-Poster.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effect of soil tillage and rainfall variables on leaching of pathogenic bacteria following land application of liquid dairy manure was studied. Soil blocks were collected from a no-tillage (NT) field and the surface soil of seven blocks was tilled 10 cm deep to mimic a plow tillage (PT) treatment. Each block received 1 L of liquid dairy manure (2% solids) containing Campylobacter jujuni and nonpathogenic E. Coli O157:H7. The total numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in leachate from NT blocks was higher than in leachate from PT blocks. Increasing the time period (from 4 to 48 h) between manure application and a large rainfall event did not affect the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 that leached through the soil. However, this time difference did affect numbers in a rain 72 h later after the first rain was completed with less E. coli leaching through the soil where the first rain was delayed until 48 h after manure application. The total numbers of Campylobacter jujuni in leachate varied with the treatments in the same way as the numbers of E. coli O157:H7. In conclusion, NT causes increased initial leaching of liquid manure and pathogens compared to PT. However, if there is sufficient time for the manure to soak into the soil volume, subsequent transport of rain through the NT soil block bypasses the pathogens in the soil volume, resulting in lower numbers of transport.