The use of antibiotics in animal agriculture can lead to antibiotic resistance, posing risks to human and animal health. While we understand how resistance contaminants move from farms to into the environment, many questions remain on how best to monitor and mitigate antibiotic transport.
In a new, open-access article published in the Journal of Natural Resources and Agricultural Ecosystems, researchers from Iowa State University and SUNY Buffalo tested prairie strips—areas of vegetation used in conservation farming—as a tool to reduce these contaminants in water running off manure-treated fields.
Using a lab setup, the researchers simulated water flow at different rates over a section of prairie strip taken from a real field. They measured contaminant levels before and after the water passed through the strip, both in surface and subsurface runoff. Results showed that prairie strips generally reduced bacteria and resistance genes, with some variability depending on flow rate and location.
Overall, the findings suggest that well-designed prairie strips can help limit the spread of antibiotic resistance from farms to nearby waterways, offering a practical way to address this environmental challenge.
The peer-reviewed paper, "Transport of Antibiotics, Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, and Antibiotic Resistance Genes Through Prairie Strips During Simulated Runoff," is publicly available from the ASABE Technical Library.