Introducing the GRACEnet/REAP Data Contribution, Discovery, and Retrieval System.

Difficulties in accessing high-quality data on trace gas fluxes and performance of bioenergy/bioproduct feedstocks limit the ability of researchers and others to address environmental impacts of agriculture and the potential to produce feedstocks. To address those needs, the GRACEnet (Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network) and REAP (Renewable Energy Assessment Project) research programs were initiated by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). A major product of these programs is the creation of a database with greenhouse gas fluxes, soil carbon stocks, biomass yield, nutrient, and energy characteristics, and input data for modeling cropped and grazed systems. The data include site descriptors (e.g., weather, soil class, spatial attributes), experimental design (e.g., factors manipulated, measurements performed, plot layouts), management information (e.g., planting and harvesting schedules, fertilizer types and amounts, biomass harvested, grazing intensity), and measurements (e.g., soil C and N stocks, plant biomass amount and chemical composition). To promote standardization of data and ensure that experiments were fully described, sampling protocols and a spreadsheet-based data-entry template were developed. Data were first uploaded to a temporary database for checking and then were uploaded to the central database. A Web-accessible application allows for registered users to query and download data including measurement protocols. Separate portals have been provided for each project (GRACEnet and REAP) at nrrc.ars.usda.gov/slgracenet/#/Home and nrrc.ars.usda.gov/slreap/#/Home. The database architecture and data entry template have proven flexible and robust for describing a wide range of field experiments and thus appear suitable for other natural resource research projects.

Cattle performance and production when grazing Bermudagrass at two forage mass levels in the southern Piedmont.

Performance and production of growing cattle (Bos taurus) on Coastal Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pasture are affected by forage allowance, but possible interactions with fertilizer nutrient source (i.e., inorganic vs. organic) and time have not been well described. We evaluated the effects of 3 nutrient sources with equivalent N rates: 1) inorganic, 2) crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) cover crop plus inorganic, and 3) chicken (Gallus gallus) broiler litter, factorially arranged with 2 residual forage mass levels [grazing to maintain high (4,528 +/- 1,803 kg/ha) and low (2,538 +/- 1,264 kg/ha) forage mass], on cattle stocking density, ADG, and BW gain during 5 consecutive summer grazing seasons. Across grazing seasons, residual forage mass and nutrient source both affected response variables, but interactions between these variables were rarely significant (P < or = 0.10). Across grazing seasons and nutrient sources, increasing grazing pressure to maintain a lower forage mass reduced ADG (0.67 vs. 0.88 kg/d; P < 0.001) but increased BW gain/ha (726 vs. 578 kg/ha; P < 0.001) due to greater stocking density (8.7 vs. 5.8 steers/ha, P < 0.001; mean BW of growing Angus steers of 212 kg). Inorganic fertilization led to greater stocking density than other nutrient sources (8.2 vs. 6.8 steers/ha, P < 0.001) because of greater forage production. Stocking density to achieve the 2 targeted forage mass levels was widely different during the initial grazing seasons of the study but nearly similar at the end of 5 yr. Cattle performance tended to decline with time during each grazing season under both residual forage mass levels, perhaps as a result of declining forage quality, because performance was positively associated with grazing season precipitation under high forage mass. Steer BW gain/ha was greater (P < 0.05) with lower forage mass early in the grazing season of all years but not necessarily later in the grazing season. Steer BW gain/ha was also greater (P < 0.05) with a lower forage mass during the early years of the study but was similar during the later years of the study. Significant variations in cattle performance and production with time confirmed the short-term seasonal effects but suggested that the long-term effects may also be of importance in maintaining productivity and environmental quality of grazed pastures.

Soil organic carbon sequestration in cotton production systems of the southeastern United States: a review.

Past agricultural management practices have contributed to the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and emission of greenhouse gases (e.g., carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide). Fortunately, however, conservation-oriented agricultural management systems can be, and have been, developed to sequester SOC, improve soil quality, and increase crop productivity. Our objectives were to (i) review literature related to SOC sequestration in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production systems, (ii) recommend best management practices to sequester SOC, and (iii) outline the current political scenario and future probabilities for cotton producers to benefit from SOC sequestration. From a review of 20 studies in the region, SOC increased with no tillage compared with conventional tillage by 0.48 +/- 0.56 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (H(0): no change, p < 0.001). More diverse rotations of cotton with high-residue-producing crops such as corn (Zea mays L.) and small grains would sequester greater quantities of SOC than continuous cotton. No-tillage cropping with a cover crop sequestered 0.67 +/- 0.63 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), while that of no-tillage cropping without a cover crop sequestered 0.34 +/- 47 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) (mean comparison, p = 0.04). Current government incentive programs recommend agricultural practices that would contribute to SOC sequestration. Participation in the Conservation Security Program could lead to government payments of up to Dollars 20 ha(-1). Current open-market trading of C credits would appear to yield less than Dollars 3 ha(-1), although prices would greatly increase should a government policy to limit greenhouse gas emissions be mandated.

Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont USA. V: Gastrointestinal parasite control in cattle.

Parasite-free pastures would improve cattle health and performance, resulting in possible economic return to producers. Our objective was to determine the effect of a single series of anthelmintic treatment of steers prior to stocking on Coastal bermudagrass pastures, during five consecutive summers, on the parasite burden in cattle. The site for this experiment had been conventionally cropped for several decades, with no exposure to cattle, and would be expected to be relatively free of nematode larvae. The experimental design was a randomized complete block (landscape features) with a split plot arrangement of treatments where main plots were pasture fertilization treatments (mineral, clover plus mineral, and broiler litter) and split plots were low and high forage mass. Anthelmintic treatment included pour-on ivermectin on day -21, albendazole on day -7, and injectable ivermectin 48 h prior to stocking of pastures, with the cattle remaining in drylot during the 48-h period prior to being placed on the experimental paddocks. All steers received only one series of treatments during any given year. Yearling Angus steers (Bos taurus) were managed in a put-and-take grazing system with three "tester" steers assigned to each paddock and "grazer" steers added or removed at 28-day intervals. From 1994 to 1998, steers grazed the paddocks for a 140-day period from mid May until early October each year. Fecal samples for worm egg counts were obtained on day 0 and at 28-day intervals, thereafter. On all sampling days after day 0, samples were obtained only from tester animals. Over the 5-year period, the mean eggs per gram of feces (epg) gradually increased from 0 (following treatment) to a mean of 2.2 (range from 0.7 to 3.0) by the end of the grazing season (the last sampling date) in October. Although the epg were not zero, they were below threshold levels that would allow development of a parasite burden in cattle. In traditional management systems, cattle graze parasite-contaminated pastures; therefore, parasites negatively impact growth and productivity throughout the entire grazing period. Periodic anthelmintic treatments simply give a temporary reprieve from those parasitic infections. Conceptually, using the current grazing system, it should be possible to maintain these pastures in a parasite-free status indefinitely; however, from a drug resistance perspective, it would be most applicable in sod-based rotation systems where cattle graze from two to five years before land is returned to row-crops. By removing the effect of parasites, cattle can grow without the physiological constraints that gastrointestinal parasites place on appetite, digestion, nutrient utilization, and general well being.

Ammonia volatilization from surface-applied poultry litter under conservation tillage management practices.

Land application of poultry litter can provide essential plant nutrients for crop production, but ammonia (NH(3)) volatilization from the litter can be detrimental to the environment. A multiseason study was conducted to quantify NH(3) volatilization rates from surface-applied poultry litter under no-till and paraplowed conservation tillage managements. Litter was applied to supply 90 to 140 kg N ha(-1). Evaluation of NH(3) volatilization was determined using gas concentrations and the flux-gradient gas transport technique using the momentum balance transport coefficient. Ammonia fluxes ranged from 3.3 to 24% of the total N applied during the winter and summer, respectively. Ammonia volatilization was rapid immediately after litter application and stopped within 7 to 8 d. Precipitation of 17 mm essentially halted volatilization, probably by transporting litter N into the soil matrix. Application of poultry to conservation-tilled cropland immediately before rainfall events would reduce N losses to the atmosphere but could also increase NO(3) leaching and runoff to streams and rivers.

Bermudagrass management in the southern Piedmont, USA: IX. Trace elements in soil with broiler litter application.

An understanding of the long-term cycling of trace elements in soil with broiler litter fertilization under various forage utilization strategies is needed to develop sustainable agricultural production systems. We evaluated differences in Cu, Mn, Zn, and six other trace elements in response to 5 yr of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] management varying in fertilization and harvest strategies on a Typic Kanhapludult in Georgia. Chicken (Gallus gallus) broiler litter was a significant source of trace elements that led to 3.4 +/- 0.5 times higher Cu, 2.0 +/- 0.3 times higher Mn, and 2.1 +/- 0.2 times higher Zn in the surface 3 cm of soil than when forage was fertilized inorganically. There were variable effects of broiler litter fertilization on other trace elements, depending upon element, depth of sampling, and forage utilization strategy. Concentrations of all trace elements in soil were below levels considered toxic to plants. Soil at a depth of 0 to 3 cm under grazed paddocks had 33 +/- 5% greater Cd, 18 +/- 1% greater Cr, 53 +/- 24% greater Cu, and 24 +/- 7% greater Zn compared with unharvested and hayed management. Trace elements in soil were unaffected whether forage was unharvested or removed as hay. These results suggest that broiler litter is a significant source of several trace elements and that ruminant processing of forage and subsequent deposition of excreta on the paddock allow these trace elements to accumulate more at the soil surface where they might interact with the high concentration of organic matter.

Particulate and non-particulate fractions of soil organic carbon under pastures in the Southern Piedmont USA.

Pasture management can be effective at sequestering soil organic C. We determined the depth distribution of particulate organic C (POC), non-particulate organic C (NPOC), particulate-to-total organic C (POC-to-TOC) ratio, and particulate organic C-to-N (POC-to-N) ratio under pastures near Watkinsville, GA, USA. POC was highly related with total organic C (TOC), but became an increasingly larger portion of TOC near the soil surface, where both pools were greatest. POC and NPOC were (i) greater under pasture than under conservation-tillage cropland, (ii) greater when pasture was grazed than when hayed, (iii) marginally greater with higher fertilization of pasture, (iv) greater with higher frequency of endophyte infection of tall fescue, and (v) greater under increasing stand age of grass. Soil under pasture comparisons that had greater TOC content had (i) larger improvements in POC than in NPOC and (ii) lower POC-to-N ratios, suggesting improvement in biochemical soil quality, as well as soil C sequestration.

Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont U.S. IV. Soil surface nitrogen pools.

The fate of nitrogen (N) applied in forage-based agricultural systems is important for understanding the long-term production and environmental impacts of a particular management strategy. We evaluated the factorial combination of three types of N fertilization (inorganic, crimson clover [Trifolium incarnatum L.] cover crop plus inorganic, and chicken [Gallus gallus] broiler litter pressure and four types of harvest strategy (unharvested forage, low and high cattle [Bos Taurus] grazing pressure, and monthly haying in summer) on surface residue and soil N pools during the first 5 years of 'Coastal' bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers.) management. The type of N fertilization used resulted in small changes in soil N pools, except at a depth of 0 to 2 cm, where total soil N was sequestered at a rate 0.2 g x kg(-1) x year(-1) greater with inorganic fertilization than with other fertilization strategies. We could account for more of the applied N under grazed systems (76-82%) than under ungrazed systems (35-71%). As a percentage of applied N, 32 and 48% were sequestered as total soil N at a depth of 0 to 6 cm when averaged across fertilization strategies under low and high grazing pressures, respectively, which was equivalent to 6.8 and 10.3 g x m(-2) x year(-1). Sequestration rates of total soil N under the unharvested-forage and haying strategies were negligible. Most of the increase in total soil N was at a depth of 0 to 2 cm and was due to changes in the particulate organic N (PON) pool. The greater cycling of applied N into the soil organic N pool with grazed compared with ungrazed systems suggests an increase in the long-term fertility of soil.

Bradyrhizobium japonicum Survival in and Soybean Inoculation with Fluid Gels.

The utilization of gels, which are used for fluid drilling of seeds, as carriers of Bradyrhizobium japonicum for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) inoculation was studied. Gels of various chemical composition (magnesium silicate, potassium acrylate-acrylamide, grafted starch, and hydroxyethyl cellulose) were used, although the hydroxyethyl cellulose gels were more extensively investigated. Gel inocula were prepared by mixing gel powder with liquid cultures of B. japonicum (2% [wt/vol]). The population of B. japonicum USDA 110 did not change in each gel type during 8 days of incubation at 28 degrees C. These fluid gels were prepared with late-exponential-growth-phase cells that were washed and suspended in physiological saline. Mid-exponential-growth-phase B. japonicum USDA 110, 123, and 138 grew in cellulose gels prepared with yeast extract-mannitol broth as well as or better than in yeast extract-mannitol broth alone for the first 10 days at 28 degrees C. Populations in these cellulose gels after 35 days were as large as when the gels had originally been prepared, and survival occurred for at least 70 days. Soybeans grown in sand in the greenhouse had greater nodule numbers, nodule weights, and top weights with gel inoculants compared with a peat inoculant. In soil containing 10 indigenous B. japonicum per g of soil, inoculation resulted in increased soybean nodule numbers, nodule weights, and top weights, but only nodule numbers were greater with gel than with peat inoculation. The gel-treated seeds carried 10 to 10 more bacteria per seed (10 to 10) than did the peat-treated seeds.