Survival of Escherichia coli TVS353 in Southeastern U.S. Soils Amended with Heat-Treated Poultry Pellets and Composted Poultry Litter: Influence of Location and Soil Nutrient Composition on Population Dynamics.

The application of biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO) may facilitate the survival of foodborne pathogens in agricultural soils. This study evaluated the survival of Escherichia coli TVS353 in soils amended with heat-treated poultry pellets (HTPPs) and composted poultry litter (CPL) over 140 days. Field studies were conducted in a completely randomized design at two Southeast locations, Georgia (GA) and Florida (FL). Soil properties, macronutrients, and micronutrients were monitored to determine whether they influenced E. coli survival. BSAAO‑amended soils had higher E. coli survival than nonamended soils after 140 days, notably in FL. Location, the interaction of location with amendment type, and the interaction of location with time and amendment type significantly influenced E. coli survival (p < 0.05), indicating differences in survival between locations. Amendment type significantly affected soil pH, electrical conductivity, potassium, and magnesium levels at both locations (p < 0.05). In contrast, the type of amendment did not significantly influence phosphorus, calcium, zinc, manganese, carbon, and total nitrogen levels (p > 0.05). The linear mixed effect analyses revealed that only NH3/NH4⁺-N levels significantly influenced E. coli populations in soil over time (p = 0.0126). Soil pH and NH3/NH4⁺-N positively correlated with E. coli populations over time.