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. 1982 Nov;44(5):1059–1063. doi: 10.1128/aem.44.5.1059-1063.1982

Plants as Sources of Airborne Bacteria, Including Ice Nucleation-Active Bacteria

Julianne Lindemann 1, Helen A Constantinidou 1,†, William R Barchet 1,‡, Christen D Upper 1
PMCID: PMC242148  PMID: 16346129

Abstract

Vertical wind shear and concentration gradients of viable, airborne bacteria were used to calculate the upward flux of viable cells above bare soil and canopies of several crops. Concentrations at soil or canopy height varied from 46 colony-forming units per m3 over young corn and wet soil to 663 colony-forming units per m3 over dry soil and 6,500 colony-forming units per m3 over a closed wheat canopy. In simultaneous samples, concentrations of viable bacteria in the air 10 m inside an alfalfa field were fourfold higher than those over a field with dry, bare soil immediately upwind. The upward flux of viable bacteria over alfalfa was three- to fourfold greater than over dry soil. Concentrations of ice nucleation-active bacteria were higher over plants than over soil. Thus, plant canopies may constitute a major source of bacteria, including ice nucleation-active bacteria, in the air.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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