Management-intensive grazing impacts on total \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli, E. coli\u3c/i\u3e O157: H7, and antibiotic resistance genes in a riparian stream

The impacts of management-intensive grazing (MIG) of cattle on concentrations of total Escherichia coli, total suspended solids (TSS), and nitrate-nitrite nitrogen (NO3+NO2-N), and occurrence of E. coli O157:H7 and selected antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in stream water and/or sediments were evaluated. Cattle were grazed for twoweek periods in May in each of three years. Overall, grazing increased total E. coli in downstream water by 0.89 log10 MPN/100 mL (p \u3c 0.0001), and downstream total E. coli concentrations were higher than upstream over all sampling intervals. Downstream TSS levels also increased (p ≤ 0.0294) during grazing. In contrast, there was a main effect of treatment for downstream NO3 + NO2-N to be lower than upstream (3.59 versus 3.70 mg/L; p = 0.0323). Overwintering mallard ducks increased total E. coli and TSS concentrations in January and February (p \u3c 0.05). For precipitation events during the 24 h before sampling, each increase of 1.00 cm of rainfall increased total E. coli by 0.49 log10 MPN/100 mL (p=0.0005). In contrast, there was no association of previous 24 h precipitation volume on TSS (p=0.1540), and there was a negative linear effect on NO3+NO2-N (p=0.0002). E. coli O157: H7 prevalence was low, but the pathogen was detected downstream up to 2½ months after grazing. Examination of ARGs sul1, ermB, blactx-m-32, and intI1 identified the need for additional research to understand the impact of grazing on the ecology of these resistance determinants in pasture-based cattle production. While E. coli remained higher in downstream water compared to upstream, MIG may reduce the magnitude of the downstream E. coli concentrations. Likewise, the MIG strategy may prevent large increases in TSS and NO3+NO2-N concentrations during heavy rain events. Results indicate that MIG can limit the negative effects of cattle grazing on stream water quality

Socio-Economic and Governance Conditions Corresponding to Change in Animal Agriculture: South Dakota Case Study

Understanding sustainable livestock production requires consideration of both qualitative and quantitative factors in a temporal and/or spatial frame. This study adapted Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to relate conditions of social, economic, and governance factors to changes in livestock inventory across several counties and over time. This paper presents an approach that (1) identified factors with the potential to relate to a change in livestock inventory and (2) analyzed commonalities within these factors related to changes spatially and temporally. This paper illustrates the approach and results when applied to five counties in eastern South Dakota. The specific response variables were periods of increasing, no change, or decreasing beef cattle, dairy cattle, and swine inventories in the specific counties for five-year census periods between 1992 and 2017. In the spatial analysis of counties, stable beef inventories and decreasing dairy inventories related to counties with increasing gross domestic products. The presence of specific social communities related to increases in county swine inventories. In the temporal analysis of census periods, local governance and economic factors, particularly market price influences, were more prevalent. Swine inventory showed a stronger link to cash crop markets than to livestock markets, whereas cattle market price increases associated with stable inventories for all animal types. Local governance tools had mixed effects for the different animal types across space and time. The factors and analysis results are context-specific. However, the process considers the various socio-economic processes in livestock production and community development applicable to agricultural sustainability questions in the Midwest and beyond

Socio-Economic and Governance Conditions Corresponding to Change in Animal Agriculture: South Dakota Case Study

Understanding sustainable livestock production requires consideration of both qualitative and quantitative factors in a temporal and/or spatial frame. This study adapted Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to relate conditions of social, economic, and governance factors to changes in livestock inventory across several counties and over time. This paper presents an approach that (1) identified factors with the potential to relate to a change in livestock inventory and (2) analyzed commonalities within these factors related to changes spatially and temporally. This paper illustrates the approach and results when applied to five counties in eastern South Dakota. The specific response variables were periods of increasing, no change, or decreasing beef cattle, dairy cattle, and swine inventories in the specific counties for five-year census periods between 1992 and 2017. In the spatial analysis of counties, stable beef inventories and decreasing dairy inventories related to counties with increasing gross domestic products. The presence of specific social communities related to increases in county swine inventories. In the temporal analysis of census periods, local governance and economic factors, particularly market price influences, were more prevalent. Swine inventory showed a stronger link to cash crop markets than to livestock markets, whereas cattle market price increases associated with stable inventories for all animal types. Local governance tools had mixed effects for the different animal types across space and time. The factors and analysis results are context-specific. However, the process considers the various socio-economic processes in livestock production and community development applicable to agricultural sustainability questions in the Midwest and beyond.This article is published as Welles, Jacqueline S., Noelle Cielito T. Soriano, Freda Elikem Dorbu, G. M. Pereira, Laura M. Rubeck, Erica L. Timmermans, Benjamin Ndayambaje et al. "Socio-Economic and Governance Conditions Corresponding to Change in Animal Agriculture: South Dakota Case Study." Sustainability 13, no. 19 (2021): 10682. DOI: 10.3390/su131910682. Copyright 2021 by the authors. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Posted with permission