Using Sunlight to Control Foodborne Pathogens in Agriculture
Researchers at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA’s CAES) are using precision agriculture to create a sunlight-based method for controlling microbial contaminants in irrigation water used for food crops. After enough research is conducted, the UGA team hopes to create an app that will help growers enhance food safety.
UGA CAES Professor Govindaraj Dev Kumar, Ph.D., who previously worked on studies on the antimicrobial potential of light, is the lead researcher on a study that aims to determine sunlight’s ability to affect the survival of certain bacteria in water. Specifically, the UGA research team will explore the ideal sunlight conditions for reducing significant foodborne pathogens Salmonella and Escherichia coli.