The effect of poultry manure (PM) applied to sorghum at 7.5 t/ha was studied in the forest-savanna transition zone of Southwest Nigeria. There were 5 tillage treatments with or without PM making 5 x 2 (10) factorial combinations replicated three times at two locations (Isuada and Rugipo). The experiment was conducted using the same plots in three years. The PM significantly (P>0.05) reduced soil bulk density and temperature and increase porosity and moisture content. The manure increased significantly soil organic matter, soil and leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations. The plant height, leaf area, stem girth and weight of roots, shoot and grain yield were significantly increased. The mean grain yield was increased by 39%. The PM had cumulative effect on soil properties, growth and yield parameters over the three years of study.

Effect of poultry manure on soil physical and chemical properties, growth and grain yield of sorghum in Southwest, Nigeria.

The utilization of chicken manure as an organic fertilizer is essential in improving soil productivity and crop production. We carried out the study to assess the effects of chicken manure on soil chemical properties and the response of application rate on the yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) as well as the uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients. To quantify these effects, we added chicken manure to samples of Calcisols, Arenosols and Luvisols at application rates: 5, 10, 20 and 40% chicken manure. The addition of chicken manure irrespective of application rate did not change the acidity or pH of Calcisol, suggesting its hypo-buffering capacity. While the results reveal increases of EC with increasing rate, at rate above 40%, the ECs were above the critical salinity level of 4 mS/cm indicating potential threat to soil productivity. The exchangeable bases increased with application rate, suggesting the positive effects of chicken manure in enhancing soil fertility. Similarly significant increase of nitrogen and phosphorus were observed following the addition of chicken manure. Initially the spinach yield increases up to optimum rate of 0.06, 0.07 and 0.16 g/plant for Luvisol, Arenosol and Calcisol, respectively and subsequently drops after critical threshold values; 15, 5 and 1% for Calcisol, Arenosol and Luvisol, respectively. Interestingly above the rate of 40%, the yield was almost zero for all soils, suggesting the ineffectiveness of chicken manure in enhancing soil productivity.

	 

	Key words: Chicken manure, soil chemical properties, soil types, spinach (Spinaciaoleracea).

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Chicken manure-enhanced soil fertility and productivity: Effects of application rates

Tillage and fertilizer influenced soil characteristics through their effects on soil properties which in turn affect crop performance. Field experiments were conducted during 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons on an Alfisol (Oxic Tropuldalf) at Owo in the forest-savanna transition zone of Nigeria to evaluate the effect of tillage and fertilizer types on soil properties and sweet potato yield ( Ipomoea batatas L.). Two tillage treatments namely: zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) were combined with each of NPK-15-15-15 fertilizer at 250 kg ha −1 , poultry manure (PM) at 10 t ha −1 , combined application of 125 kg ha −1 NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer + 5 t ha −1 poultry manure and a control (no fertilizer/manure). The experiment was laid out on a randomized complete block design in a factorial combination of eight treatments that were replicated three times. The surface soil (0–15 cm depth) was chemically analysed before and after crop harvest and some selected soil physical properties, leaf nutrient concentrations, growth and sweet potato yield were determined. Conventional tillage plots had significantly lower soil bulk density (1.30 Mg m −3 ) than zero tillage plots and resulted in higher leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg and tuber yield of sweet potato compared with zero tillage. Soil water content was higher, whereas temperature was lower, in zero tillage than conventional tillage. Zero tillage had significantly higher concentrations of soil pH, organic C, N, P, K, Ca and Mg for surface soil (0–15 cm depth). Conventional tillage increased mean tuber yield of sweet potato by 30% compared with planting on untilled zero soil. Application of poultry manure alone and complementary application of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure reduced bulk density and temperature and increased soil water content and porosity, whereas NPK fertilizer did not improve soil physical properties. Compared with control, poultry manure alone, NPK fertilizer alone and complementary application of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure increased soil total N, available P, and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg concentrations as well as leaf N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations. Poultry manure tended to improve soil pH, SOC, N, Ca and Mg compared with NPK fertilizer. Combined application of sub-optimal rates of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure gave higher soil and leaf N, P and K concentrations, vine length, vine girth, leaf area and tuber yield compared with NPK fertilizer or poultry manure alone. Compared with control, NPK fertilizer, poultry manure and NPK fertilizer plus poultry manure increased tuber yield by 39, 45 and 83%, respectively. Conventional tillage in combination with NPK fertilizer plus poultry manure gave the highest tuber yield of sweet potato.

Tillage and fertilizer effects on some soil properties, leaf nutrient concentrations, growth and sweet potato yield on an Alfisol in southwestern Nigeria

The data on tillage methods, mulching and manuring are needed to identify strategies for sustainable management of soils and for improving agronomic productivity. Hence, three field experiments were carried out at two locations in late-season 2004, early 2005 and late-season 2006, respectively, on Alfisol (Oxic Tropuldalf) at Owo in the forest-savanna transition zone of southwest Nigeria to evaluate the effects of different tillage methods and poultry manure on soil fertility and sorghum grain yields. The treatments consisted of five tillage methods (zero tillage with mulch, zero tillage without mulch, ploughing, ploughing plus harrowing and ploughing plus harrowing twice), and two rates of poultry manure at 0 and 7.5 Mg ha−1. These were factorially combined and arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The surface soils (0–15 cm) were analysed for chemical properties before and after second and third experiments. There was a percentage decrease of soil organic C, total N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in ascending order for zero tillage with mulch, zero tillage without mulch, ploughing, ploughing plus harrowing and ploughing plus harrowing twice while percentage increases were recorded in a descending order for all the various combinations of tillage with poultry manure in that order. Zero tillage with mulch, zero tillage without mulch, ploughing, and ploughing plus harrowing out-yielded ploughing plus harrowing twice by 33.7, 30.5, 18.9 and 17.9%, respectively. Poultry manure application in combination with tillage increased grain yield by 39.5% compared with tillage only. The manure-zero tillage methods increased grain yields by 15% compared with manure-mechanized tillage methods. The study indicates that sorghum can be grown sustainably in the forest-savanna transition zone of southwest Nigeria by employing zero tillage with mulch and zero tillage without mulch in combination with 7.5 Mg ha−1 poultry manure.

Tillage and poultry manure effects on soil fertility and sorghum yield in southwestern Nigeria.

Application of combined fertilizers improves biomass, essential oil yield, aroma profile, and antioxidant properties of Thymus daenensis Celak.

The comparative effects of 300kg/ha NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer, 7t/ha poultry manure (Pm), six combinations of reduced levels of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer and poultry manure, and control (no fertilizer) on maize growth, nutrients uptake and soil chemical properties were investigated for two years at Akure, South West Nigeria. Application of poultry manure, and combination of poultry manure and or NPK fertilizer significantly increased soil chemical composition, maize plant dry matter yield, grain yield, plant height, leaf area and nutrients uptake. The highest grain yields were obtained with combined use of NPK fertilizer and poultry manure in 1996 and 1997. The highest values were recorded with combined use of 3t/ha poultry manure and 200kg/ha NPK fertilizer with respect to dry matter yield, grain yield and nutrients uptake in both years. Nigerian Journal of Soil Science Vol. 15 2005: 34-41

O N Adeniyan

Papers

Effect of poultry manure, NPK 15-15-15 and combination of their reduced levels on maize growth and soil chemical properties