How do soil properties affect the survival of bacterial pathogens?

Lead Institute BD Institute of Biodiversity

$Which soil particle size fractions (clay: < 2 µm; fine silt: < 20 µm; coarse silt and sand: > 20 µm) are preferentially colonized by waste-water bacteria?$

Which soil particle size fractions (clay: < 2 µm; fine silt: < 20 µm; coarse silt and sand: > 20 µm) are preferentially colonized by waste-water bacteria?

Towards safe applications of recycled water in agriculture: Effects of soil properties on the survival of wastewater bacteria and their potential to colonize vegetables

Treated wastewater represents an imporant opportunity to combine water supply with nutrient additions in growing crops and vegatables in regions limited by freshwater. Risks associated with the possible presence of pathogenic bacteria must however first be managed.

Background and Objective

While the risks of the bacterial pathogens in TWW for human and animal health have been identified, the importance of soil to enhance or attenuate these risks is an open question and will be studied in this project. Thereby the project will contribute to ecologically friendly use of water and the production of safe vegetables for domestic markets in Israel and import markets for Germany.

Approach

Together with our partners in Israel we will conduct field experiments i which melons will be cultivated with treated waste water and in which soil and plant material will be analyzed chemically, biochemically and microbiologically. An emphasis will be placed on next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses.