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The Potential for Plants to Trap Emissions from Farms with Laying Hens. 1. Ammonia

P. H. Patterson^*,1, Adrizal, R. M. Hulet^*, R. M. Bates, D. A. Despot, E. F. Wheeler and P. A. Topper

^* Department of Poultry Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802; Faculty of Animal Husbandry, University of Jambi, Jambi 36361, Indonesia; Department of Horticulture, and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802

Correspondence: ¹ Corresponding author: php1{at}psu.edu

The potential of vegetation to trap NH₃ discharged from a layer house through the exhaust fans was evaluated at The Pennsylvania State University Poultry Education and Research Center in September 2005. Five tree species were planted in pot-in-pot containers in 5 rows downwind of the house fans and in 2 control rows upwind of the hen house. Each row included 1 plant (upwind) or 2 plants (downwind) per species per row. When measured with a photoacoustic NH₃ detector at the same elevation as the fan (1.5 m), NH₃ concentration decreased sharply with greater distance, from 51.54 ppm at 0 m (at the fan) to 1.89 ppm at 5.5 m (between row 2 and 3), 0.27 ppm at 10 m (after row 5), and 0 ppm at 50 m (control). This trend was also observed with the dosi-tubes and photoacoustic detector at the 0.3- and 3.0-m elevations. Significantly lower NH₃ concentrations were recorded when the trees were present downwind of the fans compared with when the trees were removed (16.45 vs. 19.35 ppm), suggesting a portion of the atmospheric NH₃ was being held by the plants. This was further supported by a marked decrease in foliar N status of the plants with greater distance from the source. Plant species also differed, with willow appearing to be the most responsive species and effective as an NH₃ trap.

Key Words: plant • ammonia • foliage nitrogen • laying hen