Research Project: Developing Best Management Practices for Poultry Litter to Improve Agronomic Value and Reduce Air, Soil and Water Pollution

Location: Poultry Production and Product Safety Research

2022 Annual Report

Objectives
1. Quantify and track losses of nutrients, metals, soil and pathogens from pastures fertilized with poultry manure and develop and test management practices that reduce water quality impacts. 1A. Determine the long-term effects of continuous grazing, rotational grazing, haying, and buffer strips on nutrient, sediment, pathogen, and antibiotic resistant genes in runoff from pastures. 1B. Determine the long-term effects of alum-treated and normal poultry litter on legacy P in soils, and on soil chemistry, P runoff and P leaching. 1C. Determine the long-term effects of applying poultry litter either by incorporation or by broadcasting in nutrient runoff. 1D. Identify how plant species dynamics influences nutrient losses under long-term poultry litter applications in grazable filter strip systems. 2. Measure gaseous and particulate emissions from poultry houses to develop management practices to reduce air pollution and nutrient losses. 2A. Measure NH3, dust and greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions from poultry houses. 2B. Evaluate the effects of a photocatalytic ammonia removal device on ammonia levels in poultry houses. 2C. Conduct pen trials with broiler chickens to determine the efficacy of existing and new litter amendments on NH3 volatilization. 2D. Measure forage growth, N uptake and P runoff from small plots fertilized with poultry litter from pen trials using poultry litter treated with various litter amendments. 3. Quantify the environmental impacts, crop responses, and profitability of using precision technology for nutrient management to increase the sustainability of systems agriculture. 3A. Quantify nutrient dynamics following subsurface banding of litter for development of improved management recommendations and enhanced yield in both hay and row crop systems. 3B. Identify factors influencing precision agriculture technology efficiencies for improved economic viability and reduced negative environmental impacts through decision support tools. 3C. Develop and evaluate potential changes to the Arkansas Phosphorus Index. 3D. Quantify macropore flow and phosphorus leaching based on landscape attributes. 4. Develop new, useful technologies to remove and recover nutrients from poultry litter to improve on-farm use and reduce loss to the environment. 4A. Develop strategies for improved poultry litter recycling. 4B. Develop a cost-effective ammonia scrubber for animal rearing facilities.

Approach
Agricultural landscape management and production practices are linked to environmental quality and ecosystem services. However, research is lacking on technologies that assist in sustainable intensification and lead to greater economic returns for end-users at the systems-level. The objective of this research is to reduce the negative environmental impacts of poultry litter on air, soil and/or water resources, while improving the agronomic value of this resource. To meet this challenge, we will investigate issues preventing the sustainable use of poultry litter and develop solutions through data and technology-use. Both long-term and short-term studies will be conducted. One of the long-term (20 year) studies initiated in 2003 utilizes 15 small watersheds to determine the impacts of pasture management strategies (over grazing, rotational grazing, buffer strips, riparian buffer strips and haying) on pasture hydrology, erosion and nutrient and pathogen runoff. Another watershed study will evaluate the effect of two litter application methods on nutrient runoff. In addition, short-term studies will evaluate multifunctional grazing strips, precision placement of poultry litter, and precision agriculture’s ability to reduce adverse water quality impacts during fertilization. An additional experiment will evaluate subsurface phosphorus (P) leaching from macropores in areas with highly permeable bedrocks, such as ‘karst’ topographies. The watershed studies and column experiment described above will also be utilized to validate the Arkansas P Index. Experiments will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ammonia (NH3) scrubbers on reducing NH3 and dust emissions from poultry houses. The ultimate goals of these research projects are to develop cost-effective best management practices (BMPs) for poultry manure management that improve air and water quality, as well as overall system-level sustainability.

Progress Report
Progress was made on all objectives and subobjectives, all of which fall under National Program 212. Under Objective 1, studies quantifying and tracking losses of nutrients, metals, soil and pathogens from pastures fertilized with poultry manure are underway in a series of watershed and rainfall simulation studies with preliminary data collected. Progress was made on Objective 2’s efforts to measure gaseous and particulate emissions in poultry houses to ultimately develop best management strategies to reduce air pollution. Additionally, research was undertaken to address Objective 3 (quantifying the impact of precision agriculture technology for optimizing nutrient management and increase the sustainability of systems agriculture). Finally, research was initiated to address Objective 4, focused on developing new and affordable technologies to remove and recover nutrients from poultry litter to improve on-farm use and reduce losses to the environment.

Accomplishments
1. Quantified driving factors for productivity in silvopastures. Silvopastures combine animal and tree production in one system and may be a mechanism to mitigate risk (allows producers to respond to variations in markets), while providing ecosystem services (e.g., reduced cattle heat stress during summers and greater carbon sequestration). Such multifunctional systems will be required for sustainable intensification under a changing climate. ARS researchers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, used global positioning system (GPS) cattle tracking devices to tease out soil-tree-forage-animal linkages in multi trophic-level systems in a 17-year agroforestry site. Research on this project indicated that cattle prefer grazing (88% greater) native grasses compared to introduced forages in silvopastures and that soil moisture status within landscapes and associated nutrient distribution and root decomposition may be used as indicators of animal grazing preference spatially. Using machine learning approaches, scientists identified that water distribution patterns drove grazing response, with animal grazing preference being influenced by forage quality and soil nutrients. Results illustrate how digital tools can be used to improve pasture utilization and enhance ecosystem services in the largest land-use category in the U.S., or pastures, which would allow for sustainable intensification of forage-based livestock production to meet growing protein demands and environmentally responsible production.

2. Developed first ever continuous soil property maps on Tribal Lands. Knowledge, data, and understanding is key for advancing agriculture and society, although not all sectors of U.S. societies have received information and technology transfer at the same rate. Tribal Reservations have very basic soil information relative to other producers in the U.S. ARS researchers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, created first ever high-resolution digital maps of soil properties of Quapaw Tribal Lands for sustainable soil resource management. New high-resolution soil property maps set the baseline for versioning and production of new spatial soil information for the Quapaw Tribal Land for crop suitability maps and sustainable intensification. These maps and future versions will be used for soil, crop, and land-use decisions at the farm and Tribal-level for increased agricultural productivity and economic growth.

3. Quantified source pollution potential of animal manures in karst geologies. Understanding the transmission of nutrients from land-applied animal manures to water bodies is important for implementing appropriate nutrient managements plans. This information is particularly needed in sensitive areas with highly permeable bedrock, such as in ‘karst’ topographies. These areas have direct soil surface to groundwater drainage although the extent of this is unknown. ARS researchers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, extracted large (45 cm diam. By 100 cm height) and intact soil columns down to parent material and conducted experiments to quantify the nutrient leaching potential for soils underlaying karst and non-karst geologies. ARS researchers found that soils from karst landscapes had 6 times greater leachate volume and total leached nutrients than non-karst soils and that spatial locations of soils overlaying karst geologies should be identified for on-farm precision nutrient management planning.

4. Identified alternative management practices to ensure long-term sustainable use of poultry litter. Broiler (meat chicken) production in the southeastern U.S. is a leading enterprise totaling $31.7 billion USD in agricultural receipts, with about half of the production occurring in four southeastern states. The use of by-products from poultry production, or poultry litter, has the potential to close nutrient loops, as by-products are re-applied the following season to marginal soils. Although, conventional application methods entail spreading poultry litter on the soil surface, which can result in up to 60% of nutrients being lost to the air, soil, and water. In efforts to improve management options that aid in nutrient sustainability and improve crop yield, an ARS researchers in Fayetteville, Arkansas, developed an implement for subsurface applications of poultry litter in conservation tillage systems. This ‘Subsurfer’ lowers nutrient runoff and ammonia emissions by 90%. This practice was compared to poultry litter surface applications in watersheds and plots. ARS researchers found that the ARS Subsurfer reduced nutrient losses in runoff by 66% and improved crop yields by 39%. Therefore, subsurface incorporation of poultry litter relative to surface applications of poultry litter can enhance soil and water conservation and improve crop yields.

Review Publications
Ashworth, A.J., Nieman, C.C. 2022. Evaluating optimum seeding distances from subsurface banding poultry litter in crop rotations. Agricultural & Environmental Letters. 7(1). Article e20063. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20063.
Ashworth, A.J., Katuwal, S., Moore Jr, P.A., Owens, P.R. 2022. Multivariate evaluation of watershed health based on longitudinal pasture management. Science of the Total Environment. 824. Article 153725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153725.
Ashworth, A.J., Adams, T.C., Jacobs, A. 2022. Long-term sustainability implications of diverse commercial pollinator mixtures for the conservation reserve program. Agronomy Journal. 12(3):549. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030549.
Ashworth, A.J., Kharel, T.P., Adams, T.C., Sauer, T.J., Philipp, D., Thomas, A., Owens, P.R. 2022. Spatial monitoring technologies for coupling the soil plant water animal nexus. Scientific Reports. 12. Article 3508. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07366-2.
Amorim, H., Ashworth, A.J., Zinn, Y.L., Sauer, T.J. 2022. Soil organic carbon and nutrients affected by tree species and poultry litter in a 17-year agroforestry site. Agronomy Journal. 12(3). Article 641. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12030641.
Adams, T.C., Ashworth, A.J., Owens, P.R., Moore Jr, P.A., Popp, M., Pennington, J. 2021. Pasture conservation management effects on soil surface infiltration in hay and grazed systems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 77(1):59-66. https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2022.00182.
Katuwal, S., Ashworth, A.J., Owens, P.R. 2021. Preferential flow under high-intensity short-duration irrigation events in soil columns from a karst and nonkarst landscape. Vadose Zone Journal. 20(6). Article e20160. https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20160.
Fuentes, B., Ashworth, A.J., Ngunjiri, M., Owens, P.R. 2021. Mapping soil properties to advance the state of spatial soil information for greater food security on US Tribal Lands. Frontiers in Soil Science. 1. Artcle 695386. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoil.2021.695386.
Kharel, T.P., Ashworth, A.J., Owens, P.R., Philipp, D., Thomas, A.L., Sauer, T.J. 2021. Teasing apart silvopasture system components using machine learning for optimization. Soil Systems. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems5030041.
Keyser, P., Ashworth, A.J. 2022. Wheat cover crop and seed treatment for improving native warm-season grass establishment. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. 8(1). Article e20147. https://doi.org/10.1002/cft2.20147.
Popp, M., Lindsay, K., Ashworth, A.J., Moore Jr, P.A., Owens, P.R., Adams, T.C., Welch, M., Roark, B., Pote, D., Pennington, J. 2021. Economic and GHG emissions changes of aeration and gypsum application. Agriculture Ecosystems and the Environment. 321. Article 107616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107616.
Yiagan, S., Amorim, A.J., Ashworth, A.J., Sauer, T.J., Wienhold, B.J., Owens, P.R., Brye, K. 2021. Soil quality assessment of an agroforestry system following long-term management in the Ozark Highlands. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. 4(3). Article e20194. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20194.
Lee, T., Lee, J., Ashworth, A.J., Kidd, M.T., Mauromoustakos, A., Rochell, S. 2022. Evaluation of a threonine fermentation product as a digestible threonine source in broilers. Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 31. Article 100252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japr.2022.100252.
Gurmessa, B., Cocco, S., Ashworth, A.J., Pedretti, E.F., Illari, A., Cardelli, V., Fornasier, F., Ruello, M.L., Cort, G. 2021. Post-digestate composting benefits and the role of enzyme activity to predict trace element immobilization and compost maturity. Bioresource Technology. 338. Article 125550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125550.
Zhou, X., Larson, J., Sykes, V., Ashworth, A.J., Allen, F.L. 2022. Long-term conservation agriculture effects on corn profitability in West Tennessee. Crop Science. 62:1348-1359. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20727.
Gurmessa, B., Milanovi, V., Pedretti, E.F., Aquilanti, L., Corti, G., Cocco, S., Ashworth, A.J., Ferrocino, I., Corvaglia, M.R. 2021. Post-digestate composting shifts microbial composition and degrades antimicrobial resistance genes. Bioresource Technology. 340. Article 125662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125662.
Reike, E., Cappellazzi, S.B., Cope, M., Liptzin, D., Bean, G.M., Greub, K.L., Norris, C.E., Tracy, P.W., Aberle, E., Ashworth, A.J., Baumhardt, R.L., Dell, C.J., Derner, J.D., Ducey, T.F., Fortuna, A., Kautz, M.A., Kitchen, N.R., Moore Jr., P.A., Osborne, S.L., Owens, P.R., Sainju, U.M., Sherrod, L.A., Watts, D.B., et al. 2022. Linking soil microbial community structure to potential carbon mineralization: A continental scale assessment of reduced tillage. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 168. Article 108618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108618.
Liptzin, D., Norris, C.E., Cappellazzi, S.B., Bean, G.M., Cope, M., Greub, K.L., Rieke, E.L., Tracy, P.W., Aberle, E., Ashworth, A.J., Baumhardt, R.L., Dell, C.J., Derner, J.D., Ducey, T.F., Novak, J.M., Dungan, R.S., Fortuna, A., Kautz, M.A., Kitchen, N.R., Leytem, A.B., Liebig, M.A., Moore Jr., P.A., Osborne, S.L., Owens, P.R., Sainju, U.M., Sherrod, L.A., Watts, D.B. 2022. An evaluation of carbon indicators of soil health in long-term agricultural experiments. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 172. Article 108708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108708.
Ashworth, A.J., Nieman, C.C., Adams, T.C., Franco Jr, J.G., Owens, P.R. 2022. Subsurface banding poultry litter influences edamame yield, forage quality, and leaf greenness. Agronomy Journal. 114(3):1833-1841. 10.1002/agj2.21048.
Bagnall, D.K., Morgan, C., Cope, M., Bean, G.M., Cappellazzi, S., Greub, K., Liptzin, D., Norris, C.E., Rieke, E.L., Tracy, P.W., Ashworth, A.J., Baumhardt, R.L., Dell, C.J., Derner, J.D., Ducey, T.F., Fortuna, A., Kautz, M.A., Kitchen, N.R., Moore Jr., P.A., Osborne, S.L., Owens, P.R., Sainju, U.M., Sherrod, L.A., Watts, D.B., et al. 2022. Carbon-sensitive pedotransfer functions for plant available water. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 86(3):612-629. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20395.
Acharya, M., Yang, Y., Ashworth, A.J., Burke, J.M., Lee, J., Sharma Acharya, R. 2021. Soil microbial diversity in organic and non-organic pasture systems. PeerJ. 9. Article e11184. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11184.
Ashworth, A.J., Putman, B., Kharel, T.P., Thoma, G., Shew, A., Popp, M., Owens, P.R. 2022. Environmental impact assessment of tractor guidance systems based on pasture management scenarios. Journal of the ASABE. 65(3):645-653. https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.14930.
Burgess-Conforti, J.R., Moore Jr, P.A., Owens, P.R., Miller, D.M., Ashworth, A.J., Hayes, P.D., Evans-White, M.A., Anderson, K.R. 2022. Relationships between land use and stream chemistry in the Mulberry River Basin, Arkansas. River Research and Applications. 38(6):1031-1040. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3970.
Katuwal, S., Ashworth, A.J., Moore Jr, P.A., Brye, K., Schmidt, M.D., Vanotti, M.B., Owens, P.R. 2022. Preferential transport of phosphorus from surface-applied poultry litter in soils from karst and non-karst landscapes. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 86:1002-1014. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20424.