Profiles and key drivers of bacteria/phage co-mediated antibiotic resistance genes during swine manure composting amended with humic acid.

Phages can promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in agricultural environments through transduction. However, studies on phage-mediated ARG profiles during composting have not been performed. This study investigated the effects of adding humic acid (HA) on the abundances of bacteria/phage co-mediated ARGs (b/pARGs) during swine manure composting and the key factors that affected the transmission of b/pARGs. The results showed that the addition of 5 % HA during composting could effectively reduce the absolute abundances of b/pARGs, inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Corynebacterium and Streptococcus) that carried ARGs, and ultimately affect the fate of b/pARGs in the composting process by regulating key environmental factors to change the abundance of co-host bacteria. Overall, the findings of this study provided new information for understanding the main driving factors affecting the b/pARGs profile and provided a reference for the prevention and control of ARGs pollution during composting.