Abstract
Chicken manure is accessible to family farmers, is produced in large volumes, and has a low cost. Therefore, it can be an alternative to increase the productivity of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), which is a culture of socioeconomic importance. The objective of the study was to evaluate the productivity of sweet potatoes under different doses of chicken manure, with and without liming, comparing to the use of chemical fertilizer NPK, in very clayey soil, from the perspective of economic efficiency. The experiment was conducted in the field from September 2019 to March 2020 in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications, in a split-plot scheme 2 × 5 + 1 (presence or absence of liming; five doses of chicken manure; and NPK, respectively. The evaluated parameters were: total and commercial productivity; number of total and commercial tuberous roots; harvest index; individual fresh mass, length, and diameter of tuberous roots. The effect of chicken manure was not influenced by the liming and there are no differences in agronomic values related to NPK. The dose of chicken manure that results in maximum production of the queen sweet potato variety is approximately 13 t ha-1, producing 25.2 t ha-1, while the resulting dose in maximum profit is approximately 12 t ha-1 with a production of the 25.1 t ha-1. The selling production directly to the final consumer increased profit by approximately 57.3%. Purchasing the input directly from the manufacturer reduced costs by approximately 74.5%. The use of chicken manure has a greater economic advantage compared to NPK in very clayey soil.
Highlights
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) LAM.) is a species of great socioeconomic relevance, being produced in most regions of Brazil
Since chicken manure raises the pH of the soil (Eguchi et al, 2016), it was expected that the interaction between plots and subplots would be significant, so that it was possible to find the dose of chicken manure without using liming that would result in maximum profit and another, lower dose, associated with liming
The lack of liming effect at zero dose can be explained by this dose not providing nutrients and the soil being of low fertility, justifying its inferiority to the other treatments applied in the subplots
Summary
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) LAM.) is a species of great socioeconomic relevance, being produced in most regions of Brazil. It has great popular acceptance and importance in food security due to its nutritional properties and easy cultivation. The national productivity of sweet potatoes is considered to be low, considering the potential of the crop. Fact justified by the low technological level used in the crops, mainly regarding soil correction and fertilization (FAO, 2018; Oliveira et al, 2017). Organic fertilization is an affordable and efficient alternative to produce with a good profit margin, especially for properties located very far from large urban centers, with have difficult logistics, in which chemicals arrive at higher prices (Bezerra, Costa, & Santos, 2020; Bulegon, Castagnara, Zoz, Oliveira, & Souza, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
