Managing Manure to Mitigate Antibiotic Resistance

The use of antibiotics in livestock production has been the subject of significant scrutiny in recent years as the emergence and proliferation of antimicrobial resistant organisms fuels worldwide concern about this critical, modern day health crisis. The ability of organisms to evolve and develop resistance to antimicrobials is a natural phenomenon, and one that has been demonstrated to have existed long before humans inhabited the planet. But, does this mean that human activities – and, particularly, those associated with animal agriculture are faultless? Research into the link between antibiotics in livestock and increased risk for resistant infection in the human population may be inconclusive, but the potential for resistance transfer to humans through the food supply or environmental contamination remains. Moreover, resistance mechanisms in animal settings may have significant animal health and environmental implications. For these reasons, producers are increasingly interested in identifying management practices that can reduce the presence of antibiotics and resistant organisms in animal production systems. This webinar will highlight some of the work being done to identify effective practices for reducing concentrations of resistant bacteria and resistance genes at critical control points in beef feedlot and dairy manure management systems. Participants will also learn about a new nationwide outreach team working collaboratively to improve the abilities of agricultural producers and the general public to understand, assess and adopt practices that mitigate potential risks from food-borne AMR.

An application for continuing education credit for Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) and members of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) will be submitted.