Poultry Manure Treatments Research Articles

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Fermented Organic Manure on Yield and Quality of Forage Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor L. Moench) Var. Panarunder Saline Conditions

A field experiment was conducted over two years (2015\2016) at Hada Al-Sham Experimental Research Station of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study aims at evaluating the effect of AMF (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) applied separately and in combination with fermented poultry and cow manures on forage yield and quality of forage Sorghum var. Panar grown in saline soil and irrigated with saline water. Results showed that significant differences were reported for the AMF combined with both poultry and cow manures over the control treatment in all parameters studied including plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf area, leaf firing ratio, yield and nutritive value. The effectiveness of the treatments were as follows: AMF mixed with both poultry and cow manures (PCM-AMF)> AMF mixed with poultry manure (PM-AMF)> AMF mixed with cow manure (CM-AMF)> AMF alone(AMF)> control(S) but for leafing firing ratio the order was reversed. The increments in dry forage yield were118, 82, 64, and 26% for PCM-AMF, PM-AMF, CM-AMF and AMF, respectively in comparison to the control. The nutritive value of the forage was significantly improved by the fungal and poultry manure treatments. It can be concluded from the results of this study that organic manures, particularly poultry and cow manures, mixed with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi had positive effects in increasing forage yield and improving quality of the cereal forage Panar under Soil and water salinities prevailing in arid regions. To overcome plant production limitations in saline arid conditions, it is recommended to use organic manures and mycorrhizal fungi, as they are relatively cheaper, available and effective.

Performance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) in response to organic and NPK fertilizers

AbstractThe soil of North-Central Nigeria is home to many plant products that are used as industrial raw materials, and after processing their waste are often left in drainage channels, which ultimately find their way into rivers and streams where they pollute these water bodies, and sometimes some of these materials are burnt, which further aggravates global warming. In addition, the soil of the region is characterized by low organic matter content because of annual bush burnings, which reduce the low humus content of soils. Watermelon requires a fertile soil, which is high in organic matter content, while infertile soils yield an increased production of male flowers at the expense of female flowers, which results in low fruit set. Therefore, a study was carried out at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm, Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria, during the rainy seasons of 2013 and 2014 to assess the effect of different organic materials on the growth and yield of watermelon. The factors imposed were a control, NPK fertilizer and five organic materials (neem seed cake (NSC), jatropha seed cake (JSC), poultry manure (PM), compost manure (CM), and cow dung (CD)). The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. Data collected on soil physico-chemical properties were: organic matter content, soil pH, organic carbon, total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, bulk density (BD), micro porosity (MIP), macro porosity (MAP), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS). Plant parameters evaluated include growth (vine length and number of leaves) and yield (number of fruits per plant, fruit weight per plant, and yield ha−1). Results indicated that the organic matter content increased after the first year’s cropping and declined at the end of the study. The amended plots showed significantly higher values (P < 0.05) with respect to most soil physical properties (MIP), (MAP), and (KS), except the BD, where the values were lower. The bulk density particularly deteriorated on soils that were not organically amended. In addition, the soil chemical properties examined increased following the first year’s cropping, and thereafter declined at the end of the second-year cropping season. The response of watermelon showed that the two years’ yield data ranged between 334 and 402 t/ha, 306 and 390 t/ha, and 38.25 and 59.20 t/ha for NPK, poultry manure, and control treatments respectively. From the results, it was observed that the organic amendments were environmentally more friendly compared to the inorganic amendment (NPK fertilizer) in terms of positive effects on soil structural properties.

Blending based optimisation and pretreatment strategies to enhance anaerobic digestion of poultry manure

Anaerobic digestion of poultry manure is limited by the excessive levels of nitrogen and the high concentration of dry matter. These limitations are usually overcome either by applying procedures to remove nitrogen or by employing pretreatments that allows to solubilise organic matter. In this work, the treatment of poultry manure was enhanced by co-digestion with pig manure through the methodological determination of optimal mixtures combined together with a thermochemical pretreatment coupled to ammonia stripping. The optimum poultry-pig mixture, resulting in a 24%:76% (volume basis) poultry-pig manure, was determined by applying a methodology based on linear programming which calculates the proportions of the blend which returns the maximum methane production while keeping a stable process. Pretreatment batch experiments, consisting of increasing both temperature and pH simultaneously with ammonia stripping process was optimised for a temperature of 90 °C and a pH of 10 resulting in a nitrogen removal efficiency of 72% and a 1.2-fold higher methane production in comparison to the unpretreated mixture. Continuous anaerobic co-digestion of pretreated optimum mixture enhanced the COD removal efficiency by 37% when compared with the treatment of unpretreated feedstock (37% vs 27%, respectively). This study indicates that combining blending optimisation of substrates, thermochemical pretreatments and ammonia stripping procedures prior to anaerobic co-digestion becomes a good strategy to overtake the limitations offered by solid- and nitrogen-rich substrates, such as poultry manure.

Temporal succession of soil antibiotic resistance genes following application of swine, cattle and poultry manures spiked with or without antibiotics

Land application of animal manure is a common agricultural practice potentially leading to dispersal and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental settings. However, the fate of resistome in agro-ecosystems over time following application of different manure sources has never been compared systematically. Here, soil microcosm incubation was conducted to compare effects of poultry, cattle and swine manures spiked with or without the antibiotic tylosin on the temporal changes of soil ARGs. The high-throughput quantitative PCR detected a total of 185 unique ARGs, with Macrolide-Lincosamide-Streptogramin B resistance as the most frequently encountered ARG type. The diversity and abundance of ARGs significantly increased following application of manure and manure spiked with tylosin, with more pronounced effects observed in the swine and poultry manure treatments than in the cattle manure treatment. The level of antibiotic resistance gradually decreased over time in all manured soils but was still significantly higher in the soils treated with swine and poultry manures than in the untreated soils after 130 days’ incubation. Tylosin-amended soils consistently showed higher abundances of ARGs than soils treated with manure only, suggesting a strong selection pressure of antibiotic-spiked manure on soil ARGs. The relative abundance of ARGs had significantly positive correlations with integrase and transposase genes, indicative of horizontal transfer potential of ARGs in manure and tylosin treated soils. Our findings provide evidence that application of swine and poultry manures might enrich more soil ARGs than cattle manure, which necessitates the appropriate treatment of raw animal manures prior to land application to minimise the spread of environmental ARGs.

Nitrous oxide emission after the addition of organic residues on soil surface

Abstract The addition of organic amendments with a low Carbon:Nitrogen (C:N) ratio to restore degraded soils may increase the emission of greenhouse gases and affect the storage of these elements in the topsoil. Our objectives were to evaluate the effect of the addition to the surface of organic amendments to a non-tilled and non-cultivated soil, compared with the addition of cover crop residues, with respect to: (i) N 2 O emissions and their relationships with soil variables, (ii) C and N content in the topsoil. We conducted an experiment during two consecutive years in Parana, Argentina (−31° 50.9′ S; −60°32.3′ W). Treatments included the addition of organic amendments (composted poultry litter and poultry manure) and cover crops residues [wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and white sweet clover ( Melilotus albus Medik.)]. Soil variables that are most commonly reported as critical for N 2 O emissions, i.e. soil nitrates (N-NO 3 ) and water filled pore space (WFPS), showed more differences among treatments in Year 1 than in Year 2, which was associated with a higher frequency and amount of rainfall. N 2 O flux ranged between 0.12–50 μg N m −2 d −1 (Year 1) and 0.62-13.7 μg N m −2 d −1 (Year 2). N 2 O flux was significantly associated with WFPS in both Years (P 3 (P 2 O emissions were extremely low, the highest values were recorded in poultry manure treatment, whereas, the lower values were recorded in crop residues and in the control treatment. Overall, our results suggest that the addition of organic amendments in our region, with a massive adoption of no-till, that were broadcasted before (i.e. 30–45 days) the sowing of summer crops, are associated with low N 2 O emissions and potential improvements in soil quality. In addition, the experimental approach allowed us to more clearly identify the drivers of N 2 O emissions and to better understand the soil processes that are involved in this particular situation, without the presence of a living vegetal cover.

Impact of Poultry Manure and NPK Fertilizer On Soil Physical Properties and Growth and Yield of Carrot

Abstract A field experiment was conducted in the forest-savanna transition zone of Nigeria from May to July 2014 and September to November 2015 to determine the impacts of poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertilizer on soil physical properties, and growth and yield of carrot (Daucus carota L.). The five treatments included no manure or fertilizer (control); 10, 20, and 30 megagrams (Mg)·ha-1 of PM; and 300 kg·ha-1 of 15 N-15 P-15 K fertilizer. All levels of PM reduced soil bulk density and temperature, and improved total porosity and moisture content compared to the NPK fertilizer and the control. Plant height, number of leaves, root diameter, root length, and fresh root yield in the PM and NPK fertilizer treatments were improved compared to the control. Growth and yield parameters of carrot plants treated with 20 and 30 Mg·ha-1 PM were higher than the other treatments. The 10 Mg·ha-1 PM and NPK fertilizer treatments produced similar growth and yield responses. There was an interaction for year (Y) × fertilizer (F) on plant height, number of leaves, and fresh root yield. Relative to the control 10, 20, or 30 Mg·ha-1 PM and NPK fertilizer increased fresh root yield of carrot by 39.9%, 62.0%, 64.9%, and 37.3%, respectively. The 20 Mg·ha-1 PM treatment best improved soil properties and carrot productivity as indicated by the benefit-to-cost ratio.

Odour reducing microbial-mineral additive for poultry manure treatment

Poultry production systems are associated with emissions of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), greenhouse gases, and particulate matter. Development of mitigation technologies for these emissions is important. Previous laboratory-scale research on microbial-mineral treatment has shown to be effective for mitigation of NH3, H2S and amines emissions from poultry manure. The aim of this research was to assess the effectiveness of surface application of a microbial-mineral treatment for other important odorants, i.e., phenolics and sulfur-containing VOCs. Microbial-mineral litter additive consisting of 20% (w/w) of bacteria powder (six strains of heterotrophic bacteria) and 80% of mineral carrier (perlite-bentonite) was used at a dose of 500 g∙m-2 (per ~31 kg of manure). Samples of air were collected in two series, 4 and 7 days after application of additives. An odor profile of the poultry manure was determined using simultaneous chemical and sensory analysis. Reduction levels of VOCs determined on Day 4 was between 31% and 83% for mineral adsorbent treatment and in the range of 9% and 96% for microbial-mineral additive, depending on the analyzed compound. Reduction levels on Day 7 were considerably lower than on Day 4, suggesting that the odorous VOCs treatment efficacy is relatively short. There was no significant difference between treatments consisting of microbial-mineral additive and mineral carrier alone. Open image in new window

Effects non-digested and anaerobically digested farmyard manures on wheat crop cultivated in desert soil

Digesting animal manure anaerobically before applying it as fertilizer may be affected crop production differently compared to non-digested particularly in desert soils. A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate three non-digested (NDM) and digested (DM) farmyard manures (cattle, poultry, and sheep) and their combinations with urea on the wheat crop cultivated in desert soil. Fertilizers were applied at rates corresponding to 50, 150 and 250 kg Tot N ha<sup>-1</sup>. During the growing period, seed germination percentage (SGP), plant height, plant tillering percentage (PTP) and deficiency symptoms were assessed. Furthermore, total biomass yield and relative yields of ear, straw and root fractions were measured at harvest. Results showed that high application of DM reduced SGP significantly (p<0.05), especially at the combination with urea. PTP was higher in non-digested manure treatments of sheep and poultry than DM, and also higher in digested cattle manure treatments than NDM, while it was zero in all urea treatments and control. Deficiency symptoms were seen in the treatments of low application rate as well as in all urea treatments and control. Plant height and biomass yield generally increased in NDM and DM treatments compared with urea treatments and the control. Beneficial of DM was seen in cattle and poultry manure treatments where they significantly (p<0.05) yielded higher root, ears, and total biomass compared to NDM. However, non-digested sheep and poultry manure yielded higher straw biomass than DM. The combination of non-digested and digested manure with urea gave the maximum biomass yield, especially in combination with digested poultry manure.

Effect of biochar amendment on soil’s retention capacity for estrogenic hormones from poultry manure treatment

Effect of biochar amendment on soil’s retention capacity for estrogenic hormones from poultry manure treatment

Soil physical properties in relation to maize (Zea mays) yield after tillage and application of organic and inorganic fertilisers in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria

Moderation of soil disturbance following tillage operations using external inputs, particularly organic manures, is becoming an important aspect of soil tillage management. This study examined the effects of tillage, poultry manure (PM) and NPK fertiliser on soil physical properties and their relationship with maize yield. The experiment was a split-split-plot design with three replications. Tillage (zero tillage (ZT), minimum tillage (MT) and conventional tillage (CT)) was the main plot, the subplot contained four NPK fertiliser treatments (0, 90, 120 and 150kg N ha–1), and the sub-subplots comprised three PM treatments (0, 10 and 20 Mg ha–1). The soil texture was gravelly loamy sand. Soil bulk density (BD), total porosity (Pt), clay dispersion ratio (CDR) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were evaluated. Samples for BD and Ks were collected from the soil surface using stainless cylindrical soil core (5cm in diameter and 5cm in height), whereas samples for CDR determination were collected at 0–20cm soil depth. Compared with the ZT, significantly lower BD was obtained under CT plots at 4 weeks after planting (WAP), which increased at 12 WAP possibly due to slaking and collapse of soil particles by raindrops. Application of PM resulted in significantly lower BD than the unmanured plots. There was a significant interaction effect among tillage, PM and NPK fertiliser on soil physical properties. In plots treated with combined 20 Mg ha–1 PM (PM20) and 150kg N ha–1, the soil Pt of 55.6% and 57.2% obtained under CT and MT respectively at the end of the second year were significantly higher than those of the control plots (48.5% (CT) and 47.5% (MT)). In general, combined application of NPK and PM did not result in significant differences in CDR and Ks under MT and CT but the higher rate of PM (PM20) and NPK fertiliser under ZT significantly raised the CDR and reduced Ks by 20–43% in 2008 and 23–45% in 2009 relative to the unmanured plots. This implies disaggregation (higher CDR), which possibly resulted in creation of water-repellent properties causing lower Ks. Although Ks and CDR showed no significant relation with grain yield, BD was significantly related with maize grain yield with MT tending to produce ~23% and 20% higher maize grain yield than ZT and CT respectively under a typical arable surface soil BD. Therefore, integrated use of PM and NPK fertiliser is beneficial to soil physical qualities, especially under tillage management, but high quantities of PM should be avoided under ZT soil.

Long-term effects of aided phytostabilisation on microbial communities of metal-contaminated mine soil.

Aided phytostabilisation uses metal-tolerant plants, together with organic or inorganic amendments, to reduce metal bioavailability in soil while improving soil quality. The long-term effects of the following organic amendments were examined as part of an aided phytostabilisation field study in an abandoned Pb/Zn mining area: cow slurry, sheep manure and paper mill sludge mixed with poultry manure. In the mining area, two heavily contaminated vegetated sites, showing different levels of soil metal contamination (LESS and MORE contaminated site), were selected for this study. Five years after amendment application, metal bioavailability (CaCl2 extractability) along with a variety of indicators of soil microbial activity, biomass and diversity were analysed. Paper mill sludge mixed with poultry manure treatment resulted in the highest reduction of Cd, Pb and Zn bioavailability, as well as in stimulation of soil microbial activity and diversity, especially at the LESS contaminated site. In contrast, cow slurry was the least successful treatment. Our results emphasise the importance of the (i) long-term monitoring of soil quality at sites subjected to aided phytostabilisation and (ii) selection of the most efficient amendments and plants in terms of both reduction of metal bioavailability and improvement of soil quality.

KINETICS OF PHOSPHORUS RELEASE FROM ADDED ROCK PHOSPHATE WITH SOME ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON CALCAREOUS SOIL.

Laboratory experiment was conducted using silty clay loam soil collected from Agriculture fields in Abu Ghraib to study the release of phosphorus from rock phosphate (10.22 P%) on a soil treated with three types of organic fertilizers namely; peat moss , sheep manure , poultry manure and control treatment (soil only). Ten grams of air dried soil mixed with 100 mg of ground rock phosphate and organic fertilizers added at 2.5% level (w:w) were incubated at a laboratory temperature (298 K ) after adding water up to two-thirds of the field capacity for 40, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days. Citric acide soluble available phosphorous was estimated after each incubation periods and kinetic equations used to test its release from treated samples. The additions of chicken manure was the highest in the amount of dissolved phosphorus values followed by sheep manure, peat moss, rock phosphate and control treatment, reaching levels of citric acide extractable phosphorus to 4.2 , 3.8, 3.3, 3.1 and 2.5 mg P kg-1 soil, respectively. The results also showed superiority of first order equation in the description of phosphorus release from rock phosphate with release rate coefficient of 3.801 , 3.865 , 4.328 and 4.366 mg P kg -1 soil h-1 for the treatments: soil and rock phosphate only , peat moss, sheep waste and chicken manure, respectively.

Soil Test Based Inorganic Fertilizer and Integrated Plant Nutrition System for Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) Cultivation in Inceptisols of Bangladesh

A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur during 2013 to study the potential of different organic materials in integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS) and soil test based (STB) inorganic fertilizer on the growth, nutrient uptake and yield of rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.): variety BRRI dhan29. Five treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were: (1) soil test based inorganic fertilizer (NPKS @ 138-7-80-3 kg ha-1), (2) cow dung (3 t ha-1), (3) poultry manure (2 t ha-1), (4) mustard oil cake (2 t ha-1) and (5) control. Organic fertilizers were applied on dry weight basis. Inorganic fertilizers were applied along with poultry manure (PM), cow dung (CD) and mustard oil cake (MOC) as IPNS. Soil test based STB fertilizer and PM in IPNS provided maximum grain yield of rice (6.11 t ha-1). Maximum plant height and tiller numbers were found in MOC treatment, while the numbers of filled grains were higher in STB fertilizer and PM treated plots. The application of different organic sources as IPNS significantly influenced the N, P, K and S uptake in rice. However, the highest N, P, K and S uptake were found in the PM treatment. The benefit cost ratio of different treatments followed the order of STB>PM>CD>Control>MOC. Considering yield potential and BCR, STB fertilizer and PM treatments were found economically profitable. However, from environmental point of view and sustainable management of soil health and crop productivity, application of PM and CD in rice-rice cropping system is recommended for rice cultivation.The Agriculturists 2016; 14(1) 33-42

Technical and economical optimization of a full-scale poultry manure treatment process: total ammonia nitrogen balance

ABSTRACTA full-scale process for the treatment of 80 tons per day of poultry manure was designed and optimized. A total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) balance was performed at steady state, considering the stoichiometry and the kinetic data from the anaerobic digestion and the anaerobic ammonia oxidation. The equipment, reactor design, investment costs, and operational costs were considered. The volume and cost objective functions optimized the process in terms of three variables: the water recycle ratio, the protein conversion during AD, and the TAN conversion in the process. The processes were compared with and without water recycle; savings of 70% and 43% in the annual fresh water consumption and the heating costs, respectively, were achieved. The optimal process complies with the Chilean environmental legislation limit of 0.05 g total nitrogen/L.

UPAYA PENINGKATAN HASIL MENTIMUN SECARA ORGANIK DENGAN SISTEM TASALAMPOT

Utilization of organic material in crop farming is one of the methods to exploit the local wisdom in agricultural practice. The research was conducted from June to September 2012 in the research farm, State Islamic University of Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau. The objective of the research was to investigate the effects of organic materials and crop density ? in growth and yield on cucumber. Randomized block design with 2 factors and 4 replications was employed in this study. The first factor consists of three levels organic fertilizer treatments i.e. no fertilizer, poultry manure, and compost of oil palm empty bunch. Second factor comprises of three levels of crop density i.e. 1, 2, and 3 plants per pot).. The results showed that there was significant increase on growth and yield on cucumber with poultry manure treatment compare to that of with compost of oil palm empty bunch. Increasing crop density ? improves the number and weight of cucumber yield per pot, even though, some parameters, i.e. number of leaves, stem diameter, crop dry weight, productive number of branches, cucumber size and cucumber weight per plant were significantly decreased.

Compost and poultry manure as preplant soil amendments for red raspberry: Comparative effects on root lesion nematodes, soil quality and risk of nitrate leaching

Raspberry fields in the Pacific Northwest, USA and British Columbia, Canada are often prepared for replanting by fumigating with broad-spectrum biocides to control root-lesion nematodes, Pratylenchus penetrans. Nematode-suppressive organic amendments have been advocated as reduced risk alternatives to fumigation but may pose other risks to the environment. This study compared alternative pre-plant soil management practices with respect to their effects on plant-parasitic nematode populations, soil quality parameters and risk of nitrate leaching. In fall of 2009 and 2010, a mature raspberry field was mowed down and plowed, and replicate plots were randomly allocated to each of six treatments: (1) a non-amended control, (2) fumigation with Basamid®, (3) fall seeded barley cover crop, (4) recommended rate (20m3ha−1) and (5) historical “biofumigant” high rate (250m3ha−1) of spring incorporated poultry manure, and (6) spring incorporated compost (250m3ha−1). Raspberry cv Saanich was planted approximately one month after incorporation of amendments. Composite soil samples were taken from each plot at multiple times during two subsequent growing seasons and analyzed for nematode populations and soil chemical and physical properties. Primocane biomass was assessed at the end of each of the first two growing seasons as an index of crop vigor. The high poultry manure and compost treatments suppressed root-lesion nematode populations nearly as well as fumigation over two growing seasons. These treatments also improved soil bulk densities and aggregation relative to control, cover crop and fumigation treatments, while compost addition beneficially increased soil pH, CEC and Ca concentrations more than manure. Primocane production in the manure and compost treatments was greater than in the control and cover crop treatments, but less than in the fumigated treatment. Substantial nitrate accumulation in soil amended with the high rate of manure indicated that application of sufficient manure to suppress parasitic nematodes would pose a significant risk of nitrate leaching. In contrast, soil nitrate accumulation was not significantly increased in the compost amended plots. Overall, compost application reduced nematode populations, improved crop growth and did not increase the risk of nitrate leaching in the short term and may be a viable alternative to fumigation.

Seed Yield and Quality of Lowland Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) as Influenced by Nitrogen from Organic and Chemical Sources

A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) experimental farm during boro season of 2010-11 to determine the effect of nitrogen from organic and chemical sources on rice seed yield and quality. Six treatments- (i) N-control, ii) Optimum dose of nitrogen (164 kg N ha-1) from urea, iii) 50% N from urea and 50% N from CD (cow dung), iv) 50% N from urea and 50% N from PM (poultry manure), v) 100% N from CD and vi) 100% N from PM were compared. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Two boro varieties – BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29 were used as test crops. The urea + PM treatment gave similar seed yields to that of urea in both the varieties. The PM treatment gave similar seed yield to that of urea + PM in BRRI dhan28, but BRRI dhan29 gave significantly lower seed yield in PM than the urea + PM. Sole cowdung or poultry manure application produced significantly lower seed yield than urea + PM treatment and sole urea application. The application of N from cowdung and poultry manure had no effect on rice seed quality as compared to that obtained with urea.The Agriculturists 2015; 13(1) 109-118

The use of Yucca schidigera and microbial preparation for poultry manure deodorization and hygienization

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of microbial preparation and Yucca schidigera in the removal of odorous volatile compounds from poultry manure as well as to evaluate antimicrobial properties of these amendments. It was demonstrated that the combined treatment of poultry manure (PM) with the microbial preparation and Y. schidigera extract can reduce the concentration of odorants by 58%–73%, depending on the tested compound. When Y. schidigera extract and the microbial preparation were applied at a time interval of 48 h, the deodorization efficiency was improved by 6–24%. Furthermore, Y. schidigera extract has antimicrobial properties, which affect poultry manure hygienization. It was found that when the microbial preparation was enriched with Lactobacillus plantarum, it became insensitive to the antimicrobial properties of Y. schidigera.

The effects of sulfur, cattle, and poultry manure addition on soil phosphorus

Use of organic manures for soil amendment has gained renewed attention with growing concerns about sustaining soil productivity. A greenhouse study was carried out to determine the influence of different soil amendments, namely poultry manure (PM), cattle manure (CM), and sulfur (S), on soil P status. The application rates were 0, 4, and 8 t ha -1 for PM; 0, 20, and 40 t ha -1 for CM; and 0, 0.75, and 1.5 t ha -1 for S treatments. Individual additions of PM and CM unlike S significantly affected phosphorus (P) concentrations in soils. The highest Olsen P and total P (TP) were with the highest PM (8 t ha -1 ) and CM (40 t ha -1 ) treatments. The addition of PM increased Olsen P to 59.2 mg kg -1 and TP to 761 mg kg -1 . For the CM treatments, the highest Olsen P (66.5 mg kg -1 ) and TP (713 mg kg -1 ) concentrations were with the highest CM treatments (40 t ha -1 ). While PM additions decreased the bioavailability factor, CM increased it. Increasing S treatments decreased soil pH (8.0 to 7.8) but not statistically significantly. Application of S significantly increased EC (801.6 to 1163.4 µs cm -1 ). While the applications of CM increased shoot P concentrations unlike root P concentrations, PM and S did not significantly influence plant shoot or root P concentrations. Plant shoot P concentration was higher compared to root P concentration as expected due to the transformation of P from root to shoot. Poultry manure had no effect on plant length or weight. However, they were significantly increased by increasing additions of CM and S. The study indicated that CM addition is more effective on soil Olsen P and plant P concentrations as well as plant growth compared to PM and S. There are controversial results in the literature depending on the nature of amendments, plant systems, and specific soil properties. Therefore, more research is needed on manure as a soil amendment.

Stable isotope technique in the evaluation of tillage and fertilizer effects on soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration and water use efficiency

Abstract Agricultural soil could be made to serve as a sink rather than a source of greenhouse gases by suitable soil management. This study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of tillage and fertilizer application on soil and plant carbon and nitrogen fractionation and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). The experiment was a split–split-plot factorial design with three replications. The main plot consisted of two tillage treatments: zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT). The sub-plot contained four NPK fertilizer treatments (0, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha−1), while the sub–sub-plot comprised three poultry manure (PM) treatments (0, 10 and 20 Mg ha−1). Soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration were evaluated using stable isotope of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). The δ13C in maize plant was used to obtain iWUE. It was observed that soil δ13C and δ15N were more depleted under ZT than CT and in plots treated with 20 Mg ha−1 PM (PM20) implying carbon and nitrogen sequestration under ZT and by PM20. Relative to the control, application of PM20 raised soil δ15N enrichment by 82% and 96% under CT and ZT, respectively. Higher iWUE of 25.7% was obtained under CT and was significantly higher than the iWUE values under ZT in the second year of the study while the iWUE was significantly lower with PM20 application than other fertilizer treatments. The significant δ13C depletion and hence lower iWUE with combination of NPK fertilizer and PM under CT than the control implied that soil disturbance under tilled plots was mediated by combined nutrient management thereby limiting soil C available for fractionation resulting in lower iWUE. This suggests that conservation tillage such as zero tillage and integrated application of organic and inorganic fertilizers are good strategies for reducing soil carbon and nitrogen emission.