THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY SCHREYER HONORS COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCES

The Use of Warm-Season Grasses as Vegetative Buffers to Capture Particulate Matter from Manure Pit Exhaust Fans Associated with a Swine Finishing Facility

AMANDA R. GRUBE SPRING 2021

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree in Plant Sciences with honors in Plant Sciences

Reviewed and approved* by the following:

Dr. Dennis Decoteau Professor of Horticulture and Plant Ecosystem Health Thesis Supervisor & Honors Advisor

Tarrah Geszvain Advising Coordinator, Plant Sciences and Landscape Contracting Majors Faculty Reader

* Electronic approvals are on file. i

ABSTRACT

Air borne particulate matter from livestock barns can be environmentally objectionable and deemed a nuisance due to the enhanced odors, ammonia, and harmful microbes, as well the roles of these emissions in impairing visibility near the barns and adversely affecting human cardiovascular and respiratory health. Livestock barns typically have ventilation and exhaust fans that can project particulate matter from the barn interior to the outside. Ventilation fans from livestock barns are typically located elevated off the ground, while manure pit exhaust associated with swine facilities are located at the ground level. The location of the fans can determine the path of the plume of air and thus influence subsequent recommended mitigation procedures that block, redirect, or capture the air and pollutants.

Many of the current recommendations on odor and environmental controls associated with barn venting are focused on poultry facilities with only ventilation fans. While large trees and woody shrubs are recommended for capturing particulate matter from ventilation fans, they are not ideal for use with ground level fans of swine barns. For example, ground level fans are more susceptible to damage from a falling tree and/or the extensive growth of the tree penetrating under the barn floor potentially affecting the integrity of the structure. Trees are also relatively expensive to purchase and require more maintenance over time (these are two of the most cited reasons that farmers are hesitant to employ these environmental practices).

Subsequently, grass species may be more suitable for use as a biological filters for ground level fan exhaust from swine barns because of their smaller size as well as lower maintenance and cost. ii

In the present study, three warm season grasses ( ‘Northwind’,

Miscanthus sinesis ‘Zebrinus’, and gerardi ‘Blackhawks’) were planted and evaluated for their effectiveness as vegetative buffers to capture particulate matter from manure pit exhaust fans located at a swine finishing facility. While grasses with pubescent leaf surfaces as well as more waxy leaf cuticles such as and Andropogon (Big Blue Stem) captured and retained the greatest amounts of particles in this limited study, additional research evaluating a larger number of and species would be beneficial to refine future recommendations on the use of warm season grasses as vegetative buffers in these facilities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ...... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... vi

ABSTRACT ...... i

Chapter 1 Introduction ...... 1

Hypothesis ...... 2

Chapter 2 Review of Literature ...... 3

Industrial Agriculture ...... 3 Ammonia ...... 7 Particulate Matter ...... 9 Management Strategies for Pollution ...... 12 Grasses ...... 14

Chapter 3 Materials and Methods...... 18

Plant Material and Planting Procedures ...... 18 Early Plant Growth Determinations...... 22 End of Season Plan