Microbial Quality of Fresh Vegetables and Irrigation Waters in Central Serbia

The usage of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen over the past decades. Due to environmental problems, agricultural products can be contaminated during cultivation and other activities. The aim of this paper was to determine the microbial quality of soil, irrigation water and fresh vegetables in the central part of the Republic of Serbia. Sampling was performed in the summer of 2015 at the Agricultural high-school Svilajnac (AHS), Suburb of Svilajnac (SS), Village Gložane (GL), and Village Grabovac (GR). The microbial diversity of the soil and presence of potential human pathogens was determined using agar plate technique and MPN method, respectively. MPN method was also used for determination of total and fecal coliform bacteria in irrigation water samples. Nutrient agar was uses for determination of aerobic psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria in irrigation water samples and vegetables and Cetrimide agar for Pseudomonas aeruginosa determination. Chemical characterization of irrigation water was performed using standard methodology. High microbial diversity as well as presence of pathogenic bacteria were noticed in the examined soil samples. The water cation and anion content was under the limits of permissible levels for irrigation waters. Although patogenic bacteria were detected in irrigation water samples, the obtained values were under the limits proposed by several international guidelines. In order to eliminate the possible contamination sources, principles of good agriculture practice must be implemented in production and manipulation processes.