Articles
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AND IMPACT OF STREPTOMYCIN USE ON ORCHARD BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES
Article number
896_71
Pages
483 – 488
Language
English
Abstract
Streptomycin use to control fire blight is a contentious issue in Europe and has been permitted only as an emergency stop-gap measure.
Swiss approval has been contingent upon continued environmental impact study.
Annual monitoring since first use in 2008, has demonstrated widespread resistance in plant/soil bacterial communities regardless of streptomycin exposure, and confirmed lack of pathogen resistance in Switzerland.
Thus far, no effect has been observed for streptomycin applications on indigenous bacterial communities (short- or long-term effects) inhabiting the phylosphere (flowers, leaves, fruit) or soil.
Using RISA to compare effects of 3× streptomycin treatment vs. water or biocontrol (yeast, BlossomProtect) treatment on total (culturable/nonculturable) bacterial community biodiversity – no effect of streptomycin was observed at any time point, from 1 day after application through apple harvest.
Even under worst-case trials in the orchard and laboratory, soil drenching with up to 100-times standard orchard canopy application rates found no effect on bacterial communities.
The only consistent effect on bacterial community biodiversity was actually observed on fruit from biocontrol-treated plots.
Swiss approval has been contingent upon continued environmental impact study.
Annual monitoring since first use in 2008, has demonstrated widespread resistance in plant/soil bacterial communities regardless of streptomycin exposure, and confirmed lack of pathogen resistance in Switzerland.
Thus far, no effect has been observed for streptomycin applications on indigenous bacterial communities (short- or long-term effects) inhabiting the phylosphere (flowers, leaves, fruit) or soil.
Using RISA to compare effects of 3× streptomycin treatment vs. water or biocontrol (yeast, BlossomProtect) treatment on total (culturable/nonculturable) bacterial community biodiversity – no effect of streptomycin was observed at any time point, from 1 day after application through apple harvest.
Even under worst-case trials in the orchard and laboratory, soil drenching with up to 100-times standard orchard canopy application rates found no effect on bacterial communities.
The only consistent effect on bacterial community biodiversity was actually observed on fruit from biocontrol-treated plots.
Publication
Authors
B. Duffy, F. Walsh, C. Pelludat, E. Holliger, C. Oulevet, F. Widmer
Keywords
antibiotic resistance, environmental impact, fire blight, streptomycin
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