Project Grant 20223361037530

AGRICULTURAL (AG) WATER IS RECOGNIZED BY GROWERS AND REGULATORS AS A POTENTIAL CONDUIT FOR MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF PRODUCE IN PRE- AND POST-HARVESTING OPERATIONS. THERE IS A VERY STRONG NEED IN THE GROWER COMMUNITY FOR ON-FARM TECHNOLOGIES ALLOWING RAPID, REMOTE, ACCURATE MONITORING AND REPORTING OF E. COLI LEVELS, IN A SIMPLE-TO-USE AND AFFORDABLE PACKAGE. THE ALERT-AG++ PHASE II PROJECT WILL RESPOND TO THIS NEED BY BUILDING ON PHASE I RESULTS, WHERE INITIAL PROTOTYPES WERE TESTED AND EVALUATED BY A VARIETY OF USERS RANGING FROM INDIVIDUAL GROWERS TO WATER QUALITY SPECIALISTS, PRODUCE ASSOCIATIONS, REGULATORS, UTILITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES.ALERT-AG++ TARGETS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID AUTOMATED ON-FARM PATHOGEN DETECTION SYSTEM FOR AG WATER QUALITY MONITORING, MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR AUTOMATICALLY QUANTITATING FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA (E.COLI), AND ALERTING ON THE PRESENCE OF SPECIFIC TARGETED PATHOGENIC STRAINS IN CONTAMINATED IRRIGATION WATER. SUCH CONTAMINATIONS HAVE CAUSED A STRING OF MULTI-STATE PRODUCE-RELATED E.COLI OUTBREAKS IN RECENT YEARS. THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE EXPANDED SIDE-BY-SIDE LABORATORY TESTING AGAINST THE CURRENTLY-APPROVED METHODS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A STRATEGY FOR OBTAINING REGULATORY APPROVAL AT THE LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL LEVELS.OVERALL, THE ALERT-AG++ AIMS TO FURTHER DEVELOP, INDUSTRIALIZE AND COMMERCIALIZE AN INNOVATION THAT WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY BY PROVIDING HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT THROUGH AUTOMATED MONITORING OF SURFACE WATERS, TREATED WASTEWATERS AND GROUNDWATER FOR FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA AND SPECIFIC PATHOGENS OF HIGH PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE.