Members of the Antibiotic Resistance: E. coli and Serratia spp. Microbes in the Irrigation Water Bella Blasingim, Zoe Alberti, Cruz Veronica Guillen Mejia * Project Mentor(s): Holly Pinkart, PhD We examined bacteria from Kittitas County irrigation canals and how the abundance of antibiotic resistance strains has changed over the course of the 2024 and 2025 irrigation seasons. We collected water samples from 11 different sites. The water samples were qualitatively assessed for different bacterial species by streaking on an agar plate. Once each strain was isolated, antibiotic resistance was assessed against 5 common antibiotics, allowing bacteria to differentiate between susceptible and resistant. Afterward, we performed standard biochemical tests such as carbohydrate fermentation and nutrient utilization. These tests were used to assess the strains’ physiological characteristics. Using those test results, an online identification software program was used to identify the bacterial isolates to species levels. Initial data analysis shows E. coli as the most common bacterial species found in the irrigation canals, followed by Serratia spp . However, a simple Fisher’s Exact Test shows that the two bacterial species have significantly different resistance patterns ( p = 0.041). Serratia spp . presents overall higher resistance, whereas E. coli presents overall higher susceptibility. We focused this analysis on E. coli and Serratia spp. due to their relative abundance and diversity of resistance to the different antibiotics. This allowed us to see trends between different irrigation canals over time. The increasing amount of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in the irrigation canal is a concern for the agricultural community, livestock, and the human population, and tracking the trends gives us more insight into prevention and resolution. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords : Antibiotic Resistance, E. coli, Irrigation SOURCE Form ID: 155 Future agricultural production will need to sustain a growing human population while addressing soil degradation and rising input costs. Soil health and yield optimization rely on a systematic understanding of how management practices affect crop health and productivity. While it is recognized that soil composition influences root properties and a plant’s ability to acquire water and nutrients, there is no standardized soil composition for root research done in a greenhouse setting. This lack of standardization could reduce the reliability of cross-research comparisons and limit the applicability of findings to field contexts. This study investigates how soil texture influences seedling establishment and root phenotypes of Triticum aestivum grown under controlled greenhouse conditions. The control growth medium was a commercially available soil, formulated for germination and early development. To test the impact of soil composition on early root development, variable soils were mixed with either sand or clay in a 1:3 ratio with the control soil. Phenotypic analysis includes the average and total length of the crown and seminal roots, seed establishment rate, maximum root length, and dry biomass. Preliminary observations suggest that seedling establishment is reduced in both variable soils, with the clay mix having the lowest seedling establishment rate. Results will clarify how soil texture influences root phenotype, informing both experimental substrate selection in greenhouse-based root research and supplementing our understanding of how physical soil composition influences early root development in wheat. Effects of Soil Structure on Root Phenotype in Triticum aestivum § Stephanie L.S. Denton Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: edaphology, root phenotypes, root-soil relationships SOURCE Form ID: 209
99
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator