This dataset contains experimental survival rate and transfer potential measurements of two known human pathogens, bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae, on plastic mulch and ready-to-eat crop plants. Colony forming units (CFUs) were used to measure persistence time of each pathogen on the mulch, and quantify the transfer of each pathogen from the plastic mulch to the surface of spinach and basil leaves. Samples were measured on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 14, over a total period of 14 days. Destructive sampling methods were used to collect samples from the plastic and leaf surface, with negative control leaves also sampled at each time point. This dataset was created as part of a study investigating the risk of pathogen growth in agricultural environments using plastic mulch, and is supported by the National Environmental Research Council (NE/V005847/1). Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/a514a386-18d7-4925-a3d4-fb5a2922e135