Table 1.

Estimated storage time in days during desiccation on two matrices to achieve target CFU of 1000 or 1

	Matrix*
	Nitrocellulose		Ottawa Sand		Alfalfa seed
Initial reduction (IR†)	41.6 ± 7.5		33.0 ± 12.8		(6.2 ± 2.2) × 103
Target CFU (Nf‡)	1	1000	1	1000	1	1000
Initial CFU (N0§)
1 × 107	128 ± 2	60 ± 2	134 ± 5	66 ± 5	78 ± 1	10 ± 1
2 × 109	181 ± 2	113 ± 2	187 ± 5	118 ± 5	131 ± 1	62 ± 1

(*) Error represent the Standard Error of the Mean with n = 6

(†) IR = Initial Reduction (N_t0-5 = N₀/N_t = 5)

(‡) N_f = Target CFU. Complete loss (< 1 CFU), French Canadian Standard = 1000 CFU (Smith 1992)

(§) N₀ = Initial CFU