With increased water testing requirements due to the U.S. Produce Safety Rule and third-party audits, more farms are submitting water samples to third-party labs for microbial analysis. This brief video demonstrates the best practices for collecting a water sample from a pond or other irrigation source, including the sample type needed by a produce grower for their microbial water quality profile for the Produce Safety Rule. The authors describe when a sample may be needed, where to collect the sample, and proper sample handling during and after collection.
Best Practices: Preharvest Water Sample Collection
UGA Extension contacts:
Laurel Dunn, Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva, and Govindaraj Dev Kumar
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Status and Revision History
- Published on March 26, 2020
- Published with Full Review on October 27, 2023
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