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Castano-Duque L, Winzeler E, Blackstock JM, Liu C, Vergopolan N, Focker M, Barnett K, Owens PR, van der Fels-Klerx HJ, Vaughan MM, Rajasekaran K. Dynamic geospatial modeling of mycotoxin contamination of corn in Illinois: unveiling critical factors and predictive insights with machine learning. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1283127. [PMID: 38029202 PMCID: PMC10646420 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1283127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycotoxin contamination of corn is a pervasive problem that negatively impacts human and animal health and causes economic losses to the agricultural industry worldwide. Historical aflatoxin (AFL) and fumonisin (FUM) mycotoxin contamination data of corn, daily weather data, satellite data, dynamic geospatial soil properties, and land usage parameters were modeled to identify factors significantly contributing to the outbreaks of mycotoxin contamination of corn grown in Illinois (IL), AFL >20 ppb, and FUM >5 ppm. Two methods were used: a gradient boosting machine (GBM) and a neural network (NN). Both the GBM and NN models were dynamic at a state-county geospatial level because they used GPS coordinates of the counties linked to soil properties. GBM identified temperature and precipitation prior to sowing as significant influential factors contributing to high AFL and FUM contamination. AFL-GBM showed that a higher aflatoxin risk index (ARI) in January, March, July, and November led to higher AFL contamination in the southern regions of IL. Higher values of corn-specific normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in July led to lower AFL contamination in Central and Southern IL, while higher wheat-specific NDVI values in February led to higher AFL. FUM-GBM showed that temperature in July and October, precipitation in February, and NDVI values in March are positively correlated with high contamination throughout IL. Furthermore, the dynamic geospatial models showed that soil characteristics were correlated with AFL and FUM contamination. Greater calcium carbonate content in soil was negatively correlated with AFL contamination, which was noticeable in Southern IL. Greater soil moisture and available water-holding capacity throughout Southern IL were positively correlated with high FUM contamination. The higher clay percentage in the northeastern areas of IL negatively correlated with FUM contamination. NN models showed high class-specific performance for 1-year predictive validation for AFL (73%) and FUM (85%), highlighting their accuracy for annual mycotoxin prediction. Our models revealed that soil, NDVI, year-specific weekly average precipitation, and temperature were the most important factors that correlated with mycotoxin contamination. These findings serve as reliable guidelines for future modeling efforts to identify novel data inputs for the prediction of AFL and FUM outbreaks and potential farm-level management practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Castano-Duque
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, Southern Regional Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Edwin Winzeler
- Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Booneville, AR, United States
| | - Joshua M. Blackstock
- Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Booneville, AR, United States
| | - Cheng Liu
- Microbiology and Agrochains Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Noemi Vergopolan
- Atmospheric and Ocean Science Program, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Marlous Focker
- Microbiology and Agrochains Wageningen Food Safety Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Kristin Barnett
- Agricultural Products Inspection, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Springfield, IL, United States
| | - Phillip Ray Owens
- Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Booneville, AR, United States
| | | | - Martha M. Vaughan
- Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL, United States
| | - Kanniah Rajasekaran
- Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, Southern Regional Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Katuwal S, Ashworth AJ, Moore PA, Owens PR. Characterization of nutrient runoff from perennial and annual forages following broiler litter application. J Environ Qual 2023; 52:88-99. [PMID: 36314063 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Information on how forage species influence sediment and nutrient transport in runoff is required for limiting non-point source pollution from broiler litter applications. In this study, we examined the effects of five forage species (eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.], Kernza [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey], silphium [Silphium integrifolium Michx.], switchgrass [Panicum virgatum L.], and winter wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]) on runoff nutrient losses from broiler litter-amended (5.6 Mg ha-1 ) and non-amended plots (control) following four simulated rainfall (5 cm h-1 ) events that were applied to these plots in late spring and early fall of 2019 and 2021. Runoff collected for 30 min was analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS) and nutrients (total organic carbon [TOC], soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP], total dissolved phosphorus [TDP], total phosphorus [TP], total nitrogen [TN], ammonium-nitrogen [NH4 -N], and nitrate-nitrogen [NO3 -N]). Total sediment and nutrient losses increased 5- to 19-fold following litter application for all species, which reduced to background levels during fall rainfall events. Across the four simulated rainfall events, switchgrass resulted in lower cumulative losses of TSS, TOC, SRP, TDP, TP, and NO3 -N than gamagrass and wheat but did not differ from Kernza and silphium for litter-amended treatments. The performance of newly introduced perennial crops (Kernza and silphium) was similar or better than that of gamagrass in terms of cumulative runoff sediment and nutrient losses. Results show high potential for Kernza, silphium, and switchgrass to improve water quality when used in forage-vegetative filter strip systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Katuwal
- Dep. of Poultry Science, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - A J Ashworth
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - P A Moore
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - P R Owens
- USDA-ARS, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR, 72927, USA
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Ashworth AJ, Katuwal S, Moore PA, Owens PR. Multivariate evaluation of watershed health based on longitudinal pasture management. Sci Total Environ 2022; 824:153725. [PMID: 35150668 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Watershed and pasture health is a transdisciplinary concern and crucial to promoting sustainable practices. The aim of this study is to identify effective systems-level conservation pasture management practices in a longitudinal study following 14 years of consistent management by i) teasing apart complex relationships between multivariate water and soil quality using principal component analysis (PCA); and ii) identifying interactions among variables that contribute most to watershed health within catchments using partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) based on five treatments: hayed (H), continuously grazed (CG), rotationally grazed (R), rotationally grazed with an unfertilized buffer strip (RB), and rotationally grazed with an unfertilized fenced riparian buffer (RBR). Over 14 years, H and RBR systems had greater watershed health based on runoff water quality parameters. Therefore, management systems that keep forage heights >10-cm, have less frequent vegetative removal, and riparian filter strips promote watershed health. Of the over 20 runoff variables measured over 14 study years, only electrical conductivity and annual total suspended solid loads constructed a significant water quality PLS-PM model. Water quality was positively influenced by pasture management and precipitation, with long-term pasture management driving runoff parameters and water quality. Overall, animal grazing days was not only related to grazing intensity, but to animal manure inputs and soil compaction, and adversely related to watershed health. Study results denote that best management strategies such as rotational grazing and riparian buffer strips prevent pasture system degradation and maintain carrying capacity while reducing anthropogenic pressure on soil and water systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Ashworth
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
| | - S Katuwal
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - P A Moore
- USDA-ARS, Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - P R Owens
- USDA-ARS, Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center, Booneville, AR 72927, USA
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Pilon C, Moore PA, Pote DH, Martin JW, Owens PR, Ashworth AJ, Miller DM, DeLaune PB. Grazing Management and Buffer Strip Impact on Nitrogen Runoff from Pastures Fertilized with Poultry Litter. J Environ Qual 2019; 48:297-304. [PMID: 30951134 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2018.04.0159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Ashworth AJ, Allen FL, DeBruyn JM, Owens PR, Sams C. Crop Rotations and Poultry Litter Affect Dynamic Soil Chemical Properties and Soil Biota Long Term. J Environ Qual 2018; 47:1327-1338. [PMID: 30512068 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2017.12.0465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic soil chemical interactions with conservation agricultural practices and soil biota are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to quantify long-term (12-yr) impacts of cover crops, poultry litter, crop rotations, no-tillage, and their interactions on dynamic soil properties and to determine their relationships with nutrient cycling, crop yield, and soil biodiversity (soil microbial and earthworm communities). Main effects were 13 different cropping sequences of soybean [ (L.) Merr.], corn ( L.), and cotton ( L.) at the Research and Education Center at Milan, TN, and eight sequences of corn and soybean at the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center, Spring Hill, TN. Sequences were repeated in 4-yr phases from 2002 to 2014. Split-block cover crop treatments consisted of winter wheat ( L.), hairy vetch ( Roth), poultry litter, and a fallow control. Soil C and nutrient fluxes were calculated at surface (0-5 cm) and subsurface (5-15 cm) layers during Years 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12. After 12 yr, weighted means (0-15 cm) of soil pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, total N, and C were greater under poultry litter-amended soils compared with cover crops ( < 0.05). In addition, continuous corn sequences resulted in greater soil K, N, and C concentrations than soybean-soybean-corn-corn rotations ( < 0.05). Poultry litter treatments were positively correlated with greater soil fertility levels, as well as higher crop yield and soil biodiversity. These results underscore linkages between manure additions and cropping sequences, within the nutrient cycling, soil health, and crop production continuum.
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Smith DR, Owens PR, Leytem AB, Warnemuende EA. Nutrient losses from manure and fertilizer applications as impacted by time to first runoff event. Environ Pollut 2007; 147:131-7. [PMID: 17029684 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2006] [Revised: 08/08/2006] [Accepted: 08/11/2006] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient losses to surface waters following fertilization contribute to eutrophication. This study was conducted to compare the impacts of fertilization with inorganic fertilizer, swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) manure or poultry (Gallus domesticus) litter on runoff water quality, and how the duration between application and the first runoff event affects resulting water quality. Fertilizers were applied at 35 kg P ha-1, and the duration between application and the first runoff event varied between 1 and 29 days. Swine manure was the greatest risk to water quality 1 day after fertilization due to elevated phosphorus (8.4 mg P L-1) and ammonium (10.3 mg NH4-N L-1) concentrations; however, this risk decreased rapidly. Phosphorus concentrations were 2.6 mg L-1 29 days after fertilization with inorganic fertilizer. This research demonstrates that manures might be more environmentally sustainable than inorganic fertilizers, provided runoff events do not occur soon after application.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Smith
- USDA-ARS, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, 275 S. Russell St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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Miles DM, Owens PR, Rowe DE. Spatial variability of litter gaseous flux within a commercial broiler house: ammonia, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. Poult Sci 2006; 85:167-72. [PMID: 16523609 DOI: 10.1093/ps/85.2.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Twenty-eight flocks were grown on litter in a tunnel-ventilated, curtain-sided commercial broiler house prior to this summer flock. Grid measurements were made using a photo-acoustic multigas analyzer to assess the spatial variability of litter gases (NH3, N2O, CO2, and CH4) on d 1 and 21. The pooled results for the brood and non-brood areas of the house were 1) NH3 flux was greatest in the brood area at d 1, averaging 497 mg/(m2 x h), and had a mean of 370 mg/(m2 x h) in the vacant end of the house; 2) at d 21, the non-brood area had the greater average NH3 flux, 310 mg/(m2 x h), and flux in the brood area was 136 mg/(m2 x h); 3) N2O and CH4 fluxes were <60 mg/(m2 x h); and 4) on d 1, brood CO2 flux was 6,190 mg/(m2 x h) compared with 5,490 mg/ (m2 x h) at the opposite end of the house. On d 21, these values increased to 6,540 and 9,684 mg/(m2 x h) for the brood and non-brood areas. Ammonia flux seemed most affected by litter temperature. Carbon dioxide and CH4 increased from placement to mid growout, corresponding to increased moisture, especially near the fans. Contour plots were developed using geostatistical software to visually assess the spatial disparity among the measurements. This research provides a unique view of gas flux variation within the house. Collinear factors such as house management, bird size and age, and amount of deposition are significant factors for litter gas flux and should be considered in comprehensive models for emission estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Miles
- USDA-ARS, Waste Management and Forage Research Unit, Mississippi State 39762, USA.
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