The use of poultry
manure fertilizer is becoming a common practice (especially chicken manure as
fertilizer) with many farmers throughout the world as this matter content has
in store various nutritional elements for various fields or crops. These
nutritional elements are very effective in increasing the productivity and
rapid growth of farms e.g. farms that produce vegetables. What manure basically
is, its significance and various other factors related to it can be thoroughly
understood under the following headings.
For every
increase in productivity of a farm, there is a need for manure application.
Manure is natural and organic; it has no residual effect on humans after
consumption of the farm produce. Unlike the inorganic manure called fertilizer;
there is now strong campaign against its use in agriculture. Organic farming is
the best form of agriculture.
Manure are
basically aggregation of wastes from animals or household; they are
incorporated into the soil to replenish the soil nutrients. There are basically
3 kinds of manure. They are:
·
Compost
manure: Manure gotten from animal beddings and waste.
·
Farmyard
manure: Manure gotten from household wastes
·
Green
manure: These are decay of plant materials.
All these are
good for planting, they have several benefits when used. Some of the benefits
are:
1.
They replenish the soil nutrient.
2.
They improve the soil structure.
3.
They conserve soil moisture.
4.
They increase the activities of
microbial activities.
All these are
essential for plant growth and increase in yield.
Out of all farm
animal waste, poultry manure is the best and most valuable manure; it provides
the soil with all the essential elements and minerals require for plant growth.
Poultry manure is very high in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; which are
the important nutrient elements for crop growth. In addition to chicken manure
NPK content, it contains calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and micronutrients.
By the virtue
of the fact that, poultry birds eat highly nutritious concentrate feed; their
droppings are as rich as the feeds they eat. The nutrient composition of
poultry manure varies with the type of bird, the feed ration, the proportion of
litter to droppings, the manure handling system; broiler dropping is regarded
as the best poultry manure. Owing to the high nutrient concentration of the
feed broilers eat.
The moisture
content of poultry droppings also determines the level of nutrient
availability; layers contains higher moisture content but broiler have lower
moisture content. Broilers litters have total nutrient of 60:60:40 and
available nutrient of 40:40:30 in the NPK ratio. This is an ideal poultry
manure litter content.
When broiler
manure is spread on the surface of the soil and not incorporated into the soil,
significant Nitrogen of about 15 to 50% will be lost within 7 days after
spreading when the weather is hot and dry. But if layers manure is spread as a
liquid or slurry, as much as 75% of the Nitrogen could be lost within the same
time and environmental conditions.
Using fresh
poultry litter is more valuable; it contains 20% moisture content with
excellent proportion of nutrients. Fresh poultry litters should be incorporated
into the soil like two weeks before planting for timely mineralization or
decomposition and release of nutrients into the soil. However, storing litters
depletes the nutrients value, especially the Nitrogen value. An ashy-gray appearance
indicates a loss of nutrient value.
Care must be taken when using manure to avoid over fertilization of
the soil; this can lead to contamination of the underground water through
leaching of nutrients like potassium and phosphorus.
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