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Evaluation of the Microbial Quality of Cantaloupe Fruit Produced On Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2017 Evaluation of the Microbial Quality of Cantaloupe Fruit Produced on Raised or Flat Beds Following a Flooding Event Isaack Kikway Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Plant Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Kikway, Isaack, "Evaluation of the Microbial Quality of Cantaloupe Fruit Produced on Raised or Flat Beds Following a Flooding Event" (2017). LSU Master's Theses. 4508. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/4508 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION OF THE MICROBIAL QUALITY OF CANTALOUPE FRUIT PRODUCED ON RAISED OR FLAT BEDS FOLLOWING A FLOODING EVENT A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in The Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology by Isaack Kikway B.S., University of Eldoret-Kenya, 2013 May 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There were a great number of people who helped make this thesis possible. I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. Melanie Lewis Ivey for giving me the opportunity to call this project my own. I am forever grateful for her support and patience with me as I tested every possible limit. My humble gratitude to the department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology for the financial assistance they have accorded me. To my advisory committee Dr. Achyut Adhikari and Dr. Jong Ham, your effort is immeasurable. I would also like to acknowledge my amazing family and friends. To my ever loving, and caring mama Lilian, I thank you for always supporting my dreams through constant prayers no matter how big or small. I am thankful to you brother Simoo, and Noah for your touching and encouraging support. Davii you are part of this successful journey. My jovial sisters, Mildred, Stellah, Lydia and Annlyne I am proud of you. Josephine, your strength with Denoo and Huldah are of much importance to this achievement. Finally all my gratitude goes to the author and the finisher of our destiny the Almighty God, without Him all is in vain ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ v ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi 1. CHAPTER I............................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Literature Review .................................................................................................... 1 1.2. References ............................................................................................................. 11 2. CHAPTER II ......................................................................................................... 17 2.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 17 2.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................... 21 2.3. Results ................................................................................................................... 32 2.3. Discussion ............................................................................................................. 47 2.4. References ............................................................................................................. 59 3. CHAPTER III ....................................................................................................... 71 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 71 3.2. Materials and Methods .......................................................................................... 74 3.3. Results ................................................................................................................... 75 3.4. Discussion ............................................................................................................. 82 3.4. References ............................................................................................................. 86 VITA ................................................................................................................................. 91 iii LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1. Baseline Population Levels of Generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Bacteria. ............................................................................................................................ 32 Table 2.2. Mean Generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Population Based on 2 Surface Area (log10MPN/cm ) on the Surface of Cantaloupe Fruit .................................. 33 Table 2.3. Mean Generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Bacteria Population in Rinsate (log10MPN/100ml) from the Surface of Cantaloupe Fruit. .................................. 34 Table 2.4. Fixed Effects Tests of Flooding by Bed Type by Sampling Time for Generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Population. ............................................................. 34 Table 2.5. Mean generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Population Levels Based on 2 Surface Area (log10MPN/cm ) on the Surface of Cantaloupe Fruit on Raised Beds or Flat Ground and Not Exposed to Flood Water ......................................................................... 38 Table 2.6. Mean Generic Escherichia coli and Total Coliform Population Levels Present in Rinsate (log10MPN/100ml) From the Surface of Cantaloupe Fruit Produced on Raised Beds or Flat Ground and Not Exposed to the Flood Water .............................................. 39 Table 2.7. Raised Beds Predicted and Actual (MPN/cm2 and MPN/100ml) Reduction Rate of Generic Escherichia coli Over Time. ................................................................... 40 Table 2.8. Flat Grounds Predicted and Actual (MPN/cm2 and MPN/100ml) Reduction Rate of Generic E.coli Over Time. ................................................................................... 40 Table 2.9. Combined Predicted and Actual (MPN/cm2 and MPN/100ml) Reduction Rate of Generic Escherichia coli Over Time. ........................................................................... 42 Table 2.10. Percentage of Cantaloupe Fruit from Flooded and Non-flooded Control Plots that Were Positive for the Presence of Salmonella spp. ................................................... 43 Table 2.11. Chi-square Comparison for Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes Incidence Between Flooded and Non-flooded Plots ......................................................... 44 Table 2.12. Percentage of Cantaloupe Fruit from Flooded and Non-flooded Plots that were Positive for the Presence of Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. .................. 45 Table 3.1. Mean Percent Incidence of Cantaloupe Fruit with Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) or Phytophthora Fruit Rot (Phytopthora capsici). ................................................ 77 Table 3.2. Phytophthora Fruit Rot (Phytophthora capsici) or Southern Blight Fruit Rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) Incidence Tests for Significant Interaction ....................................... 78 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Experimental Plot Design ............................................................................... 22 Figure 2.2. Mean Levels of Generic Escherichia coli (log10MPN/100ml) and Generic 2 E.coli log10MPN/cm on Cantaloupe Fruit ...................................................................... 35 Figure 2.3. Mean Baseline and FSMA Threshold Generic Escherichia coli Levels Present on Flood Water and the Surface of Cantaloupe Fruit. ..................................................... 36 Figure 2.4. Mean Levels Total Coliform Bacteria log10MPN/100ml and Total Coliform 2 Bacteria log10MPN/cm on Cantaloupe Fruit. ................................................................. 37 Figure 3.1. Signs and Symptoms of Phytophthora Fruit Rot (Phytophthora capsici) and Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) Fruit Rot. ................................................................. 76 Figure 3.2. Mean Percent Incidence of Phytophthora fruit Rot (Phytophthora capsici) and Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) Fruit Rot ................................................................ 79 Figure 3.3. Weekly Mean Percent Incidence of Phytophthora (Phytophthora capsici) Fruit rot ............................................................................................................................. 80 Figure 3.4. Weekly Mean Percent Incidence of Southern Blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) Fruit Rot.. ................................................................................................................................... 81 v ABSTRACT Floodwater can contain microbial contaminants such as plant and foodborne pathogens and can compromise the quality of fresh
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