Dorcas H. Franklin

Rainfall and tillage effects on transport of fecal bacteria and sex hormones 17β-estradiol and testosterone from broiler litter applications to a Georgia Piedmont Ultisol

Poultry litter provides nutrients for crop and pasture production; however, it also contains fecal bacteria, sex hormones (17beta-estradiol and testosterone) and antibiotic residues that may contaminate surface waters. Our objective was to quantify transport of fecal bacteria, estradiol, testosterone and antibiotic residues from a Cecil sandy loam managed since 1991 under no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) to which either poultry litter (PL) or conventional fertilizer (CF) was applied based on the nitrogen needs of corn (Zea mays L) in the Southern Piedmont of NE Georgia. Simulated rainfall was applied for 60 min to 2 by 3-m field plots at a constant rate in 2004 and variable rate in 2005. Runoff was continuously measured and subsamples taken for determining flow-weighted concentrations of fecal bacteria, hormones, and antibiotic residues. Neither Salmonella, nor Campylobacter, nor antimicrobial residues were detected in litter, soil, or runoff. Differences in soil concentrations of fecal bacteria before and after rainfall simulations were observed only for Escherichia coli in the constant rainfall intensity experiment. Differences in flow-weighted concentrations were observed only for testosterone in both constant and variable intensity rainfall experiments, and were greatest for treatments that received poultry litter. Total loads of E. coli and fecal enterococci, were largest for both tillage treatments receiving poultry litter for the variable rainfall intensity. Load of testosterone was greatest for no-till plots receiving poultry litter under variable rainfall intensity. Poultry litter application rates commensurate for corn appeared to enhance only soil concentrations of E. coli, and runoff concentrations of testosterone above background levels.

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum: implication for runoff and nutrient losses associated with broiler litter use on pastures on ultisols.

Gypsum has been shown to reduce runoff on soils prone to crust formation in the southeastern United States. Increased infiltration from gypsum applications could therefore help reduce runoff P and other nutrient losses from application of broiler litter (BL), a nutrient-rich fertilizer. In rainfall simulation experiments in June 2009 and May 2011, runoff and nutrient (N, P, Ca, Mg) losses in runoff were compared among treatments consisting of 0, 2.2, 4.5, and 9.0 Mg ha flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) combined with 13.5 Mg ha of BL and two control treatments of (0-0) and (9.0-0.0) Mg ha (FGDG-BL). A randomized block design with three replications was set up on a Cecil (Typic Kanhapludult) soil growing Coastal bermudagrass ( L.) for hay near Watkinsville, Georgia. Amendments were applied each April from 2009 to 2011. A reduction in runoff of 30% each year from the (9.0-13.5) compared with the (0-0) treatment was not statistically significant. Gypsum was effective in reducing concentration and load in one of the two study years: P and NH-N in 2009 (up to 83%) and NO-N in 2011 (up to 73%). A combination of factors related to weather extremes, timing of FGDG and BL applications, and their implication on soil and vegetation responses at different landscape positions might have caused the different responses between years. Additional studies focused on isolating the impacts of such factors would be helpful to ascertain the effectiveness of multiyear applications of FGDG as a best management practice to reduce P and other nutrient losses in soils of the southeastern United States.

Hydrologic transport of fecal bacteria attenuated by flue gas desulfurization gypsum.

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. Its application to agricultural fields may increase water infiltration, reduce soil erosion, and decrease nutrient losses from applications of animal manures. It may also reduce fecal bacterial contamination of surface waters. We tested the hypothesis that FGD gypsum applications would decrease the load of and the fecal indicator bacterium from poultry litter applications. Two rainfall simulation experiments were undertaken: one in spring 2009 and one in spring 2011. Six treatments consisted of four rates of FGD gypsum (0, 2.2, 4.5, and 9.0 Mg ha) with poultry litter (13.5 Mg ha and two controls) in a randomized, complete-block design with three replications. Each replicate 4- × 6-m plot contained a single 1- × 2-m subplot that was delineated by metal plates and a flume that captured total overland flow or runoff. Rainfall was applied at ∼64 mm h. Volume of overland runoff was measured and subsampled for analysis every 10 min for 1 h. Flow-weighted concentrations, total loads, and soil concentrations of were determined. was not detected in runoff. No significant differences between treatments were observed for the 2009 rainfall simulation. However, after 3 yr of FGD gypsum applications, the highest rate of FGD gypsum resulted in decreased flow-weighted concentrations and total loads of . Flue gas desulfurization gypsum applications may be a management practice that reduces microbial contamination of surface waters from manure applied to agricultural fields in the southeastern United States.

Assessment of the Georgia Phosphorus Index on farm at the field scale for grassland management.

In order to better manage agricultural phosphorus (P), most states in the United States have adopted a “P indexing” approach that ranks fields according to potential P losses. In Georgia, the Georgia P Index was developed to estimate the risk of bioavailable P loss from agricultural land to surface waters, considering sources of P, transport mechanisms, and management practices. Nine farm fields, managed as pasture or hay systems, were outfitted with 28 small in-field runoff collectors. Runoff P, soil P, and field management practices were monitored from 2004 to 2007. Fields varied from those rich in P (broiler litter or dairy slurry) to those without P amendments (inorganic nitrogen [N] or no amendments). Data relating to nutrient applications, soil properties, soil P, and management were used as input values to determine a Georgia P Index value estimating the risk of P export from each field. Results indicated that the Georgia P Index underrated the risk in only 2% of the cases when considering loads or mass losses of P, partly due to the influence of small annual runoff volumes and thus greater flow-weighted concentrations from some fields. While measured P export was generally low to moderate (<7.5 kg P ha−1 y−1 [<6.7 lb ac−1 yr−1]) from fields rated as a low or medium risk of P export, findings from this study indicated that the Georgia P Index, at times, overestimated the risk of P losses for hay systems and underestimated the risk of P losses for pastures when no amendments were applied.

Water infiltration and surface-soil structural properties as influenced by animal traffic in the Southern Piedmont USA

Surface-soil structural condition in perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrients applied, as well as by compactive forces, e.g., grazing cattle or hay harvest machinery. Changes in surface-soil condition can affect hydrologic processes that have important implications for plant growth, greenhouse gas emissions and off-site water quality. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on the rate of ponded water infiltration and penetration resistance in a bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.]/tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb. S.J. Darbyshire) pasture on a Typic Kanhapludult in Georgia. During a period when soil was wet (61% water-filled pore space), the rate of water infiltration was 2.8 – 1.5 times greater when forage was left unharvested as when hayed or grazed (mean – standard deviation among nine nutrient sourcerharvest management comparisons). During a subsequent period, when soil was dry (28% water-filled pore space), the rate of water infiltration followed the same treatment pattern, but was not statistically different among harvestmanagement practices (1.5 – 0.4 times greater between unharvested and other systems). Penetration resistance of the surface at 10 cm depth followed the order: unharvested (62 J) < hayed (100 J) < low grazing pressure (119 J) < high grazing pressure (137 J). Water infiltration during the wet period was negatively related (PO0.01) to soil-water content (r =- 0.57), penetration resistance at 0‐10 cm depth (r =- 0.50) and bulk density at 3‐6 cm depth (r =- 0.53), but was positively related to surface residue C (r = 0.47) and soil organic C concentration at 12‐20 cm depth (r = 0.42). These results suggest that complex soil physical (i.e., aggregation, penetration resistance and infiltration) and biological (i.e., plant growth, surface residues and soil organic matter) interactions occur in pastures. We conclude that well-managed grazing systems with excellent ground cover should have adequate hydrologic condition to promote pasture productivity and limit environmental contamination from runoff. Further work is needed to understand the linkages between field- and watershed-scale hydrology in perennial pastures and their implications on water quality.

Rainfall-induced release of microbes from manure: model development, parameter estimation, and uncertainty evaluation on small plots.

A series of simulated rainfall-runoff experiments with applications of different manure types (cattle solid pats, poultry dry litter, swine slurry) was conducted across four seasons on a field containing 36 plots (0.75 × 2 m each), resulting in 144 rainfall-runoff events. Simulating time-varying release of Escherichia coli, enterococci, and fecal coliforms from manures applied at typical agronomic rates evaluated the efficacy of the Bradford-Schijven model modified by adding terms for release efficiency and transportation loss. Two complementary, parallel approaches were used to calibrate the model and estimate microbial release parameters. The first was a four-step sequential procedure using the inverse model PEST, which provides appropriate initial parameter values. The second utilized a PEST/bootstrap procedure to estimate average parameters across plots, manure age, and microbe, and to provide parameter distributions. The experiment determined that manure age, microbe, and season had no clear relationship to the release curve. Cattle solid pats released microbes at a different, slower rate than did poultry dry litter or swine slurry, which had very similar release patterns. These findings were consistent with other published results for both bench- and field-scale, suggesting the modified Bradford-Schijven model can be applied to microbial release from manure.

Alum and Rainfall Effects on Ionophores in Runoff from Surface-Applied Broiler Litter.

Polyether ionophores, monensin, and salinomycin are commonly used as antiparasitic drugs in broiler production and may be present in broiler litter (bird excreta plus bedding material). Long-term application of broiler litter to pastures may lead to ionophore contamination of surface waters. Because polyether ionophores break down at low pH, we hypothesized that decreasing litter pH with an acidic material such as aluminum sulfate (alum) would reduce ionophore losses to runoff (i.e., monensin and salinomycin concentrations, loads, or amounts lost). We quantified ionophore loss to runoff in response to (i) addition of alum to broiler litter and (ii) length of time between litter application and the first simulated rainfall event. The factorial experiment consisted of unamended (∼pH 9) vs. alum-amended litters (∼pH 6), each combined with simulated rainfall at 0, 2, or 4 wk after litter application. Runoff from alum-amended broiler litter had 33% lower monensin concentration ( < 0.01), 57% lower monensin load ( < 0.01), 48% lower salinomycin concentration ( < 0.01), and 66% lower salinomycin load ( < 0.01) than runoff from unamended broiler litter when averaged across all events of rainfall. Ionophore losses to runoff were also less when rainfall was delayed for 2 or 4 wk after litter application relative to applying rainfall immediately after litter application. While the weather is difficult to predict, our data suggest that ionophore losses in runoff can be reduced if broiler litter applications are made to maximize dry time after application.

Soluble Phosphorus Released by Poultry Wastes in Acidified Aqueous Extracts

Abstract Research has shown that measured water‐soluble phosphorus (WSP) from poultry litter might have been less than that released in the field. The effects of acidified extractions on soluble P (SP) concentrations were studied, and a buffer was selected to measure SP at pH 6.0, which is a target value for soil management in Georgia. Soluble P concentrations were extracted from poultry wastes at three pHs: 1) at natural pH, using deionized water (DIw); 2) after titrating DIw suspensions with 0.5N hydrochloric acid (HCl) to pH end‐points 3.0, 4.0, and 6.0; and 3) at pH 6.0 with buffers of sodium (Na) acetate, potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP), 2‐(N‐morpholino) ethanesulphonic acid (MES), Na cacodylate, imidazole, N‐(2‐acetamido)‐2‐aminoethansulphonic acid (ACES), N‐(carbamoyl‐methyl) iminodiacetic acid (ADA), bis‐(2‐hydroxyethyl) imino]‐tris‐[(hydroxymethyl) methane (Bistris), and 1,4 piperazine‐bis‐(ethane sulphonic acid) (PIPES). Total SP increased 60% to 140% in suspensions acidified with HCl to pH 6.0 compared to suspensions at pH≥8. Dissolved unreactive P responded more (2× to 30×) than molybdate reactive P (20–100%). Buffers extracted more soluble minerals than suspensions acidified with HCl, probably because of their complexation ability. The most effective buffer was MES, because its effects seemed mainly due to acidification.

Ammonia oxidizers in a grazing land with a history of poultry litter application

Poultry litter (PL) is widely applied on grazing lands in Georgia. However, it is not clear how its long-term use affects soil microorganisms and their function. We examined changes in activity and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in a grazing land with a history of PL application and compared it to treatment with urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). Soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected in 2009 (after 15 yr of PL application) and in 2013 (after 2 yr of no application). The abundance and community composition of ammonia oxidizers (AO) were determined with molecular techniques that targeted Nitrification potential (NP) was used for measuring their activity. Abundance of AO was significantly higher in PL (7.41 and 7.10 log copies g soil for AOB and AOA, respectively) than in UAN plots (6.82 and 6.50 log copies g soil for AOB and AOA, respectively) in 2009. This is consistent with NP, which was higher in PL (0.78 mg NO -N kg h) than in UAN (0.50 mg NO-N kg h) plots in 2009. The abundance of AO and NP decreased in 2013. There was no treatment effect on the composition of AO. Correlation analysis suggested that AOB were functionally more important than AOA, indicating the need to target AOB for efficient management of N in PL-receiving soils. Overall, the difference in nitrification between PL and UAN was mainly caused by the change in AO abundance rather than composition, and AO were not negatively affected by an increase in PL-derived trace metal concentrations.

Runoff under natural rainfall from small tall fescue catchments in the Georgia Piedmont, United States

The environmental outcomes from tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh.) pastures managed with different levels of endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) infection and choices of harvest and fertilization methods are not well known. We monitored runoff from 14 tall fescue paddocks, 0.9 to 1.1 ha (2.2 to 2.7 ac) each, from April of 2002 to April of 2010 near Watkinsville in the Georgia Piedmont. Three grazed Jesup tall fescue-endpohyte associations (endophyte infected high alkaloid—Wild, endophyte infected low alkaloid—MaxQ, and endophyte free—Free), and two sources of fertilization (inorganic and broiler litter), were replicated twice in a randomized block design. A replicated hayed treatment was planted to Jesup MaxQ with inorganic fertilization as a grazing control. Drought reduced the maximum number of runoff events to 77. A Standardized Precipitation Index analysis showed that the degree of drought was dependent on the time scale considered. The near normal period peaked at a 1-month (74%) scale and was least at a 9-month time scale (32%). Considering a 1-month time scale, there were on average 4 times as many runoff events per month during the near normal, and 16 times as many during the wet and wetter period, as those in the dry and drier period. Fertilizer and fertilizer by fescue interactions in grazed paddocks had significant effect on runoff, whereas main effects of fescue type and harvest methods (graze versus hay) did not. Inorganically fertilized paddocks had 30% greater runoff than those with broiler litter fertilization. The largest runoff amount occurred with inorganic fertilizer and endophyte-free fescue, suggesting a combined impact of reduced persistence of the endophyte-free fescue, with low organic matter input from the inorganic fertilizer. Grazing of Piedmont pastures with MaxQ-endophyte association of tall fescue, and fertilized with broiler litter, does not appear to pose additional risk for runoff, compared to tall fescue pastures under the common wild-type-endophyte association that are hayed or grazed, and fertilized inorganically or with broiler litter. These results further support a previous recommendation for increased adoption of MaxQ with broiler litter fertilization in the southeastern United States, because of excellent average daily gain by cattle and stand persistence of MaxQ.