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Sustainable development

Reducing Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Soils: A Research Breakthrough

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Agricultural soils are critical reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can have severe consequences for human health. Researchers at Virginia Tech have made a significant breakthrough in understanding the effects of dairy manure amendments on soil resistomes. By characterizing and quantifying the effects of manure-derived amendments on soil resistomes, the study aimed to provide insights into the spread of antibiotic resistance in agricultural settings. The research, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Global Change Center at Virginia Tech, has shed light on the potential of composting and time restrictions as means of reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance in manure-applied soils.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study examined the effects of dairy manure-derived amendments on agricultural soils using two strategies: quantification of anthropogenic ARG markers via qPCR and shotgun metagenomic resistome profiling.
  • Raw dairy manure-amended soils yielded high cult and tet(W) relative abundances on Day 0, but significantly decreased to background levels by Day 67 and Day 120.
  • Shotgun metagenomics detected a decrease in the relative abundances of sulfonamide and tetracycline-associated ARGs over time in raw manure- and compost-amended soils.
  • Composting and time restrictions were found to be effective means of reducing the potential for antibiotic resistance in manure to spread via soil application.
  • The research suggests that some differences in conclusions drawn may depend on the antibiotic resistance monitoring target selected.
  • Additional authors for this research include Leigh-Anne Krometis, W. Cully Hession, and Amy Pruden.

Statistics:

  • 120-day complete block field experiment to compare the effects of amendment type on antibiotic resistance.
  • Raw dairy manure-amended soils yielded high cult and tet(W) relative abundances on Day 0 (<1% and 25.3%, respectively) but significantly decreased to background levels by Day 67 (0.01% and 0.2%, respectively).
  • Shotgun metagenomics detected a decrease in the relative abundances of sulfonamide and tetracycline-associated ARGs over time in raw manure- and compost-amended soils (26.6% and 21.1%, respectively, on Day 0 to 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, on Day 120).

Sources:

  • The Science of The Total Environment, 2021;766.
  • NewsRx LLC, "Data from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Advance Knowledge in Green Building (Identifying Leverage Points In Us Residential Water Heater Stakeholder System and Decision- Making Process: an Integrative Review)", Ecology, Environment & Conservation, April 30, 2021; p 163.
  • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), "Cross-comparison of Methods for Quantifying Antibiotic Resistance In Agricultural Soils Amended With Dairy Manure and Compost".

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