Academic Programs > AGNR Academic Departments > ENST Home > Who We Are, What We Do > Dr. Gary Felton- Associate Professor

Dr. Gary Felton- Associate Professor

Office: 1433 Animal Science/Ag. Engineering Bldg. 142
Tel: (301) 405-8039
Fax: (301) 314-9023
Email: gfelton@umd.edu

 

 

Education

Ph.D. Agricultural Engineering, Texas A&M, 1987.

M.S. Agricultural Engineering, University of Maryland, 1981.

B.S. Agricultural Engineering, University of Maryland, 1976.

 

Professional Society Memberships

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), 1987-present

Washington DC/Maryland section, ASAE

Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers

 

Research Interests

BiosolidsManagement/Utilization: Human waste byproducts, euphemistically referred to asbiosolids, are generated at tremendous rates in theBaltimore-Washington Metro area. Much of this resource is currentlyland applied to agricultural land. Additional biosolids are trucked outof state. As the WQIA of 1998 takes effect, the land base may not beavailable for land application. Alternative uses for this resource arepreferable to landfilling. Towards this goal, three MCE researchershave developed a project to assess the growth, survival, and long-termsustainability of hybrid poplar; water quality considerationsassociated with deep row biosolid application; and the profitability ofthis technology. Field days for agency and MCE personnel have been heldand fact sheets are available. A masters thesis has been published andpapers are forthcoming.
Poultry Litter Management/Utilization: Stockpiles-Eastern-shore-specific impacts from using covers.Increases flow of water, so increases nutrient loss in surfacewater.... counterintuitive. Conversely reduces infiltration, so reduces potential for transport to groundwater. Conclusion: allowing piles to absorb water probablyslightly reduces total nutrient loss because a great deal of water isthen evaporated and never becomes the transport mechanism forpollution. The overall system appears to be transport-limited.
Pads: This new project will examine earth pads, soil cementpads and cement pads to determine what impacts various types ofelevated pads have on subsurface nutrient transport. Suction lysimeterswill be placed below pads to collect water samples and subsurface flowwill be estimated. Six or eight demonstration sites in the lower fivecounties of the shore will have pads.

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Last updated: 03/9/2009