Paul B. DeLaune

Spatio-temporal variability of groundwater nitrate concentration in Texas: 1960 to 2010.

Nitrate (NO) is a major contaminant and threat to groundwater quality in Texas. High-NO groundwater used for irrigation and domestic purposes has serious environmental and health implications. The objective of this study was to evaluate spatio-temporal trends in groundwater NO concentrations in Texas on a county basis from 1960 to 2010 with special emphasis on the Texas Rolling Plains (TRP) using the Texas Water Development Boards groundwater quality database. Results indicated that groundwater NO concentrations have significantly increased in several counties since the 1960s. In 25 counties, >30% of the observations exceeded the maximum contamination level (MCL) for NO (44 mg L NO) in the 2000s as compared with eight counties in the 1960s. In Haskell and Knox Counties of the TRP, all observations exceeded the NO MCL in the 2000s. A distinct spatial clustering of high-NO counties has become increasingly apparent with time in the TRP, as indicated by different spatial indices. County median NO concentrations in the TRP region were positively correlated with county-based area estimates of crop lands, fertilized croplands, and irrigated croplands, suggesting a negative impact of agricultural practices on groundwater NO concentrations. The highly transmissive geologic and soil media in the TRP have likely facilitated NO movement and groundwater contamination in this region. A major hindrance in evaluating groundwater NO concentrations was the lack of adequate recent observations. Overall, the results indicated a substantial deterioration of groundwater quality by NO across the state due to agricultural activities, emphasizing the need for a more frequent and spatially intensive groundwater sampling.

17β-estradiol in runoff as affected by various poultry litter application strategies

Steroidal hormones, which are excreted by all mammalian species, have received increasing attention in recent years due to potential environmental implications. The objective of this study was to evaluate 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water from plots receiving poultry litter applications using various management strategies. Treatments included the effects of 1) aluminum sulfate (alum) application rates to poultry litter; 2) time until the first runoff event occurs after poultry litter application; 3) poultry litter application rate; 4) fertilizer type; and 5) litter from birds fed modified diets. Rainfall simulators were used to cause continuous runoff from fertilized plots. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed for 17β-estradiol concentrations. Results showed that increasing alum additions to poultry litter decreased 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water. A significant exponential decline in 17β-estradiol runoff was also observed with increasing time until the first runoff event after litter application. Concentrations of 17β-estradiol in runoff water increased with increasing litter application rate and remained above background concentrations after three runoff events at higher application rates. Management practices such as diet modification and selection of fertilizer type were also shown to affect 17β-estradiol concentrations in runoff water. Although results from these experiments typically represented a worst case scenario since runoff events generally occurred immediately after litter application, the contaminant loss from pastures fertilized with poultry litter can be expected to be much lower than continual estradiol loadings observed from waste water treatment plants. Management practices such as alum amendment and application timing can significantly reduce the risk of 17β-estradiol losses in the environment.

Factors affecting arsenic and copper runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter.

Arsenic (As) and copper (Cu) runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter has received increasing attention in recent years, although it is not known if heavy metal runoff from poultry litter poses a significant threat to the environment. The objective of this study was to determine the main factors affecting As and Cu concentrations in runoff water from pastures receiving poultry litter applications. Rainfall simulation studies were conducted to determine the effects of the following treatments on metal runoff: (i) aluminum sulfate (alum) additions, (ii) diet modification using phytase or high available phosphorus corn, (iii) fertilizer type, (iv) poultry litter application rate, and (v) time until the first runoff event occurs after poultry litter application. Results showed that alum additions to poultry litter significantly decreased As and Cu concentrations in runoff water. Copper concentrations were highest in runoff from poultry litter from birds fed phytase diets compared with other diets; however, this effect may have been a result of wet storage conditions rather than diet. Triple superphosphate applications resulted in the lowest heavy metal concentrations in runoff water among all fertilizer treatments, while normal poultry litter resulted in the highest concentrations. Arsenic and Cu concentrations increased in runoff water as poultry litter application rates increased and decreased with increasing time until the first runoff event. These data indicate that adding alum to poultry litter, a cost-effective best management practice, which also results in lower P runoff and ammonia emissions, may also be an effective tool in reducing metal runoff.

Effects of pasture renovation on hydrology, nutrient runoff, and forage yield.

Proper pasture management is important in promoting optimal forage growth and reducing runoff and nutrient loss. Pasture renovation is a management tool that improves aeration by mechanically creating holes or pockets within the soil. Pasture renovation was performed before manure application (poultry litter or swine slurry) on different pasture soils and rainfall simulations were conducted to identify the effects of pasture renovation on nutrient runoff and forage growth. Renovation of small plots resulted in significant and beneficial hydrological changes. During the first rainfall simulation, runoff volumes were 45 to 74% lower for seven out of eight renovated treatments, and infiltration rates increased by 3 to 87% for all renovated treatments as compared with nonrenovated treatments. Renovation of pasture soils fertilized with poultry litter led to significant reductions in dissolved reactive P (DRP) (74-87%), total P (TP) (76-85%), and total nitrogen (TN) (72-80%) loads in two of the three soils studied during the first rainfall simulation. Renovation did not result in any significant differences in forage yields. Overall, beneficial impacts of renovation lasted up to 3 mo, the most critical period for nutrient runoff following manure application. Therefore, renovation could be an important best management practice in these areas.

Effects of long-term poultry litter application on phosphorus soil chemistry and runoff water quality.

Continuous application of poultry litter (PL) significantly changes many soil properties, including soil test P (STP); Al, Fe, and Ca concentrations; and pH, which can affect the potential for P transport in surface runoff water. We conducted rainfall simulations on three historically acidic silt loam soils in Arkansas, Missouri, and Virginia to establish if long-term PL applications would affect soil inorganic P fractions and the resulting dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff water. Soil samples (0-5 cm depth) were taken to find sites ranging in Mehlich-3 STP from 20 to 1154 mg P kg. Simulated rainfall events were conducted on 3-m plots at 6.7 cm h, and runoff was collected for 30 min. Correlation between Mehlich-3 and runoff DRP indicated a linear relationship to 833 mg Mehlich-3 P kg. As Mehlich-3 STP increased, a concomitant increase in soil pH and Ca occurred on all soils. Soil P fractionation demonstrated that, as Mehlich-3 STP generally increased above 450 mg P kg (from high to very high), the easily soluble and loosely bound P fractions decreased by 3 to 10%. Water-insoluble complexes of P bound to Al and Ca were the main drivers in the reduction of DRP in runoff, accounting for up to 43 and 38% of total P, respectively. Basing runoff DRP concentration projections solely on Mehlich-3 STP may overestimate runoff P losses from soils receiving long-term PL applications due to dissolution of water-insoluble Ca-P compounds.

Securing Our Soil in Intensive Monoculture Cropping Systems

Adoption of reduced tillage and no-till cotton is one of the most rapidly growing conservation areas in the United States. As conservation tillage expands in use, understanding the impact of transitioning to such systems on nutrient cycling and soil compaction and the soil’s overall health becomes paramount. Our objective was to measure the impact of long-term conservation tillage systems in cotton production systems on soil chemical, physical, and biological properties. The Soil Health Tool developed by USDA-ARS was used to measure biological properties of soil samples taken to a depth of 15 cm. Soil physical properties measured included bulk density, soil strength using penetrometers (cone index values), and infiltration. Soil cores were taken to a depth of 90 cm and segmented for analysis of soil chemical properties. Soil carbon was higher in the upper 10 cm for systems that had been in no-till for more than 10 years. We also observed that carbon sequestration was higher in systems that incorporated crop rotation, particularly wheat, versus a continuous cotton system. Among locations through the Southern High Plains of Texas, infiltration rates were generally greater in conservation tillage systems than adjacent conventional tillage systems.

Manure and Runoff Water Quality from Feedlots as Affected by Diet and Pen Surface

Environmental management of confined animal feeding operations is closely regulated. Hence, understanding management practices that affect nutrient outputs and the potential risk of transport in the environment is of importance. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of feeding corn-based wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) and the type of pen surface material on manure nutrient composition and runoff water quality. Rainfall simulations were conducted at an experimental feedyard that contained soil and fly ash surfaced pens. Two diets, steam-flaked corn (SFC) and 30% WDGS, were fed to cattle on each surface type. Diets containing WDGS resulted in greater manure nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations than SFC diets. Runoff volumes were significantly higher from soil pens where WDGS diets were fed. Runoff volumes were consistent for fly ash pens; however, there was a 3-fold difference between soil surfaced pens, indicating great variability between soil surfaced pens. Feeding WDGS increased soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations in runoff water by 38% and total P concentrations by 27% compared to SFC. This increase in P runoff concentrations as a result of feeding WDGS was expected, as manure WEP concentrations were greater in pens where WDGS was part of the diet. Pen surfaces with fly ash resulted in increased total P and ammonium-N (NH4-N) concentrations in runoff water. Mass losses of SRP, total P, NH4-N, and total Kjeldahl N (TKN) were highest from soil surfaced pens in which cattle were fed WDGS. While manure nutrient concentration can be an excellent indicator of the potential of nutrient runoff, hydrological properties can be the single most important factor in actually transporting nutrients offsite.

Grazing Management and Buffer Strip Impact on Nitrogen Runoff from Pastures Fertilized with Poultry Litter

Nitrogen runoff from pastures fertilized with animal manure, such as poultry litter, can result in accelerated eutrophication. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of grazing management and buffer strips on N runoff from pastures fertilized with poultry litter. A 12-yr study was conducted on 15 small watersheds in Booneville, AR, using five management practices: continuous grazing, haying, rotational grazing, rotational grazing with an unfertilized buffer strip, and rotational grazing with a fenced unfertilized riparian buffer. Poultry litter was applied annually at a rate of 5.6 Mg ha. Concentrations and loads of total N, NO-N, NH-N, organic N, and total organic C in runoff varied intra- and interannually and coincided with precipitation trends. Overall, the greatest component of total N in runoff was organic N. Rotational grazing resulted in the highest concentrations and loads of all forms of N in runoff compared with other treatments, including the continuously grazed paddocks, which were grazed almost twice as much. Total organic C concentrations and loads in runoff were also higher from rotationally grazed watersheds than other treatments. Rotational grazing is considered a best management practice that typically reduces soil erosion; hence, the mechanism by which it caused higher N and C runoff is unclear. Nitrogen runoff losses from rotationally grazed pastures were reduced by 44% with unfertilized buffer strips, by 54% with fenced unfertilized riparian buffers, and by 52% by converting pastures to hayfields.

Phosphorus Leaching from Soil Cores from a Twenty-Year Study Evaluating Alum Treatment of Poultry Litter

Adding alum to poultry litter is a best management practice used to stabilize P in less soluble forms, reducing nonpoint-source P runoff. However, little research has been conducted on how alum additions to litter affect subsequent leaching of P from soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of alum-treated versus untreated poultry litter on P leaching from soil cores receiving long-term poultry litter applications. Two intact soil cores were taken from each of 52 plots in a long-term study with 13 treatments: a control, four rates each of untreated and alum-treated litter (2.24, 4.49, 6.72, and 8.96 Mg ha), and four rates of ammonium nitrate (65, 130, 195, and 260 kg N ha). One core from each plot received the same fertilizer as for the previous 20 yr, whereas the other was unfertilized in the study year, resulting in a total of 25 treatments. Cores were exposed to natural rainfall, and P leaching was measured for 1 yr. The average soluble reactive P concentrations in the leachate varied from 0.16 to 0.44 mg P L in fertilized alum-treated cores, whereas leachate from cores fertilized with untreated litter ranged from 0.40 to 2.64 mg P L. At the highest litter rate (8.96 Mg ha), alum reduced total dissolved P and total P concentrations in leachate by 83 and 80%, respectively, compared with untreated litter. These results indicate that alum additions to poultry litter significantly reduced soluble and total P fractions in leachate.

Effects of Grazing Management and Buffer Strips on Metal Runoff from Pastures Fertilized with Poultry Litter

Metal runoff from fields fertilized with poultry litter may pose a threat to aquatic systems. Buffer strips located adjacent to fields may reduce nutrients and solids in runoff. However, scant information exists on the long-term effects of buffer strips combined with grazing management on metal runoff from pastures. The objective of this study was to assess the 12-yr impact of grazing management and buffer strips on metal runoff from pastures receiving poultry litter. The research was conducted using 15 watersheds (25 m wide and 57 m long) with five treatments: hayed (H), continuously grazed (CG), rotationally grazed (R), rotationally grazed with a buffer strip (RB), and rotationally grazed with a fenced riparian buffer strip (RBR). Poultry litter was applied annually in spring at 5.6 Mg ha. Runoff samples were collected after every rainfall event. Aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) concentrations were strongly and positively correlated with total suspended solids, indicating soil erosion was the primary source. Soluble Al and Fe were not related to total Al and Fe. However, there was a strong positive correlation between soluble and total copper (Cu) concentrations. The majority of total Cu and zinc was in water-soluble form. The CG treatment had the highest metal concentrations and loads of all treatments. The RBR and H treatments resulted in lower concentrations of total Al, Cu, Fe, potassium, manganese, and total organic carbon in the runoff. Rotational grazing with a fenced riparian buffer and converting pastures to hayfields appear to be effective management systems for decreasing concentrations and loads of metals in surface runoff from pastures fertilized with poultry litter.