Addressing the Challenges of Ammonia Loss from Poultry Droppings through Indigenous Carbon Wastes

Abstract

Laboratory experiment was conducted to screen the carbonaceous wastes suitable for making poultry droppings compost. Carbon-rich waste materials namely, coir pith, sawdust, paper wastes, leaf litter and paddy straw were evaluated for their efficacy in reducing the ammonia volatilization from poultry droppings. Among the carbon wastes tested, coir pith, saw dust and paddy straw were found to be efficient in reducing the ammonia loss by 31 to 48 per cent. In the compost mix, major nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were increased with the advancement of composting. The coir pith mixed poultry compost recorded high nitrogen (19.7 g kg -1 ) and potassium content (13.9 g kg -1 ), whereas, coir pith and rock phosphate (RP) mixed poultry compost recorded high phosphorus content (20.1 g kg -1 ). When poultry waste was composted without mixing any carbon wastes, it recorded high conductivity (EC) (3.63 dS m -1 ), whereas the poultry waste mixed with coir pith and paddy straw recorded low conductivity value. The carbon and C/N ratio of the compost got reduced with the advancement of composting. The cumulative loss of ammonia was more when poultry manure composted without carbon wastes (1125.8 mg kg -1 ). Mixing of poultry wastes with coir pith reduced the ammonia loss by 57.7 percent.