DEVELOPMENT AND ANALYSIS OF A PROTOCOL TO ASSESS SURVIVAL OF FECAL ORGANISMS IN AGRICULTURAL SOILS AMENDED WITH RAW MANURE

Conduct controlled environmental studies to 1) compare survival of manure-borne pathogens with surrogates and 2) develop a baseline reference of pathogen and surrogate survival in manure-amended soils for comparison to field survival, accounting for environmental effects. Conduct field studies to evaluate survival of surrogates in raw manure-amended soils used for growing fresh produce. Contribute to development of a systematized protocol to determine safe practices for use of raw manure as a soil amendment in the production of fresh fruits and vegetables in a manner compliant with safety standards of the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act, and mandates put forth in the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.