Amanda J. Ashworth
A5051080292- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Bioenergy crop production and management
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Forest ecology and management
- Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Phosphorus and nutrient management
- Agriculture, Soil, Plant Science
- Soil and Land Suitability Analysis
- Composting and Vermicomposting Techniques
- Gut microbiota and health
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
Agricultural Research Service
2016-2025
United States Department of Agriculture
2017-2025
U.S. National Poultry Research Center
2017-2024
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
2020-2023
University of Missouri
2023
Government of the United States of America
2023
Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center
2016-2021
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2013-2016
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
2016
University of Central Arkansas
2008
Soil microorganisms play essential roles in soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling agroecosystems have been used as quality indicators. The response of microbial communities to land management is complex the long-term impacts cropping systems on microbes largely unknown. Therefore, changes bacterial community composition were assessed sequences bio-covers at no-tillage sites. Main effects four different corn (Zea mays L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum soybean (Glycine max L.)...
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is closely tied to soil health. However, additional biological indicators may also provide insight about C dynamics and microbial activity. We used SOC the other (potential mineralization, permanganate oxidizable C, water extractable β-glucosidase enzyme activity) from North American Project Evaluate Health Measurements examine continental-scale drivers of these indicators, relationships among effects health practices on indicator values. All had greater values at...
Switchgrass is a high yielding, low-input intensive, native perennial grass that has been promoted as major second-generation bioenergy crop. Raw switchgrass not readily acceptable feedstock in existing power plants were built to accommodate coal and peat. The objective of this research was elucidate some the characteristics biochar produced via carbonization explore its potential use solid fuel. Samples carbonized batch reactor under temperatures 300, 350 400 °C for 1, 2 3 h residence...
Aggregate stability is a commonly used indicator of soil health because improvements in aggregate are related to reduced erodibility and improved soil–water dynamics. During the past 80 90 years, numerous methods have been developed assess stability. Limited comparisons among resulted varied magnitudes response management practices influences inherent properties climate. It not clear whether selection specific method creates any advantage investigator. This study assessed four measuring...
Abstract Currently accepted pedotransfer functions show negligible effect of management‐induced changes to soil organic carbon (SOC) on plant available water holding capacity (θ AWHC ), while some studies the ability substantially increase θ through management. The Soil Health Institute's North America Project Evaluate Measurements measured content at field using intact cores across 124 long‐term research sites that contained increases in SOC as a result management treatments such reduced...
Topographic wetness index (TWI) is used as a proxy for soil moisture, but how well it performs across varying timescales and methods of calculation not understood. To assess the effectiveness TWI, we examined spatial correlations between in situ volumetric water content (VWC) TWI values over 5 years soils at 42 locations an agroforestry catena Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. We calculated 546 ways using different flow algorithms digital elevation model (DEM) preparations. found that most...
Insect manure or "frass" has emerged as an alternative nutrient source for alleviating the dependence on fossil fuel-based fertilizers, reducing food waste, and promoting security. Yet, research insect frass chemical composition is in its infancy. Here, we assessed properties of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) compared with poultry litter (PL). was obtained from National Biological Control Laboratory (NBCL; IF-L) insect-rearing company (IF-C). PL collected facilities Arkansas (PL-AR)...
Soil microorganisms are important for maintaining soil health, decomposing organic matter, and recycling nutrients in pasture systems. However, the impact of long-term conservation management on microbial communities remains unclear. Therefore, microbiome responses to is an component especially largest agricultural land-use US. The aim this study was identify community differences following 13-years (hayed (no cattle), continuously grazed, rotationally grazed with a fenced, un-grazed...
Elucidating complex interactions of cover crops and crop residues on soil physicochemical properties is critical to sustaining productivity long-term. Our objective was compare strength chemistry (physiochemical), residue composition, compaction following 15-years cropping system implementation under non-tillage. Main effects were sequences soybean (Glycine max L.), corn (Zea mays cotton (Gossypium hirsutum grown a Loring silt loam, Maury loam. Split-block treatments consisted winter wheat...
Core Ideas Topographic variation influenced soil nutrient distribution in a silvopasture system. High‐resolution digital maps of nutrients were generated. Terrain attributes identified topographic functional units as management zones. Level different. Topography plays crucial role spatial soils; however, studies to quantify influence on from system are mostly lacking. To address this question, 4.3‐ha site northwest Arkansas was selected and total 51 topsoil (0–15 cm thickness) samples...
Abstract Farmers, scientists, and other soil health stakeholders require interpretable indicators of hydraulic function. Determining which to use has been difficult because measurement disconformity, spatial temporal variability, recently established treatments, the effect site characteristics on management practice differences. The North American Project Evaluate Soil Health Measurements includes 124 sites uniformly sampled across a range practices in America 2019. We compare recommend...
Potential carbon mineralization (Cmin) is a commonly used indicator of soil health, with greater Cmin values interpreted as healthier soil. While are typically in agricultural soils managed minimal physical disturbance, the mechanisms driving increases remain poorly understood. This study assessed bacterial and archaeal community structure potential microbial drivers maintained under various degrees disturbance. mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, characterization data were collected part...
Abstract Various soil health indicators that measure a chemically defined fraction of nitrogen (N) or process related to N cycling have been proposed quantify the potential supply crops, key function. We evaluated five (total N, autoclavable citrate extractable water‐extractable organic potentially mineralizable and ‐acetyl‐β‐ D ‐glucosaminidase activity) at 124 sites with long‐term experiments across North America evaluating variety managements. found 59%–81% variation in was among sites,...
Earthworms are crucial for improving soil biophysical properties in cropping systems. Consequently, effects of rotation and bio-covers were assessed on earthworm populations under no-tillage. Main six different [corn (Zea mays), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), soybean (Glycine max)] rotations ranging from monocultures to greater complexity implemented four-year cycles 12 years at two sites Tennessee, USA with split-block bio-cover treatments hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), wheat (Triticum...
Dynamic soil chemical interactions with conservation agricultural practices and biota are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to quantify long-term (12-yr) impacts of cover crops, poultry litter, crop rotations, no-tillage, their on dynamic properties determine relationships nutrient cycling, yield, biodiversity (soil microbial earthworm communities). Main effects were 13 different cropping sequences soybean [ (L.) Merr.], corn ( L.), cotton L.) at the Research Education Center...
Watershed and pasture health is a transdisciplinary concern crucial to promoting sustainable practices. The aim of this study identify effective systems-level conservation management practices in longitudinal following 14 years consistent by i) teasing apart complex relationships between multivariate water soil quality using principal component analysis (PCA); ii) identifying interactions among variables that contribute most watershed within catchments partial least squares-path modeling...
Abstract Management and design affect systems’ ability to deliver ecosystem services meet sustainable intensification needs for a growing population. Soil–plant–animal health evaluations at the systems level conventional silvopastoral environments are lacking challenge adoption across temperate regions. Impacts of silvopasture on soil quality, microclimate, cattle heat stress, forage quality yield, weight gain were compared pasture in mid-southern US. Here, we illustrate silvopastures have...
Abstract Perennial crops are thought as a solution for enhancing food security and providing ecosystem services under changing climate, including forage‐biomass production, reduced erosion nutrient leaching, soil C accumulation. However, the drivers of root decomposition allocation in perennial multifunctional buffer‐strips affected by fertility management poorly elucidated. Thus, study objectives were to assess CO 2 efflux on switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.), eastern gamagrass Tripsacum...
Insect farming is expected to increase in coming years, thus generating high quantities of frass (insect excreta). Frass valorization hinges on basic agronomic research prior industry upscaling. Here, we investigated soil physiochemical properties, SMAF (Soil Management Assessment Framework) health, CO2 efflux, and bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] yield quality as affected by yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) [3400 6800 kg ha−1, low (LF) (HF) rates], poultry litter (PL; 3400...
Abstract Livestock are a critical part of our food systems, yet their abundance globally has been cited as driver many environmental and human health concerns. Issues such soil, water, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, aquifer depletion, antimicrobial resistance genes, zoonotic disease outbreaks have all linked to livestock operations. While studies examined these issues at depth local scales, it difficult complete regional or national scales due the dearth data, hindering pollution...