Effect of poultry manure compost enriched with sulphur and/or phosphorus on onion and maize productivity
Abstract: Two field experiments were conducted during winter and summer seasons of 2000-2001. The first experiment was to study the influence of composting and enriching poultry manure with natural sulphur (SO) and/or phosphorus in form of rock phosphate (RP) on its fertilizing value. The four compost treatments were unenriched poultry manure compost (PMC), PMC enriched with sulphur (SPMC), with P in form of rock phosphate (PPMC) and with both SO and P (SPPMC). The second experiment was a field study to evaluate the effects of these composts on onion and maize productivity. It comprised the four compost compared to the mineral fertilizer (urea) enriched with SO+ RP as well as control treatment.
The results indicated that the poultry C/N ratio was about 12.85 and narrowed to 11.97 for enriched compost with both SO and RP. However, the compost treated with RP had a relatively wide C/N ratio. The RP enriched compost increased total P content from 15.35 to 28.92 and 20.44 and total N form 32.50 to 40.15 and 33.28 g/kg with and without SO, respectively. The corresponding values for the SO enriched compost were increased from 15.35 to 28.92 and 10.35 and form 32.50 to 40.15 and 35.51 g/kg with and without RP, respectively. The total K content of PMC was 13.73 and ranged from 14.75 to 19.55 g/kg for enriched composts.
Onion yield was significantly affected by compost types applic- ation. The highest yield was obtained by application of enriched urea (6.21 ton /fed.). However, differences among enriched urea, SPPMC and PPMC treatments were not significant. The yield of SPPMC was less than the enriched urea treatment by 8.37 % while PPMC was less than SPPMC by 13.01%. The relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) can be arranged as follows: enriched urea (100) < SPPMC (90) < PPMC (76)< SPMC (64)< PMC(57) < control (19.42). Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were 43.33, 39.00, 32.38, 30.67, 24.50 kg yield/kg N for enriched urea, SPPMC, SPMC, PPMC and PMC, respectively. The amount of nitrogen uptake significantly differed among the different treatments except for enriched urea and SPPMC. Phosphorus uptake had the same trend except for SPPMC which was higer than urea + SO and RP. The apparent net nitrogen recovery (ANR) had the same pattern among the various treatments as onion yield, RAE and NUE.
In the second season, the significant increasing in green yield of maize with the residual effects of the poultry manure compost treatments was more pronounced than enriched urea. The RAE values were 100, 150,200,200 and 350 % for enriched urea, PMC, SPMC, PPMC and SPPMC, respectively. It is evident that addition of SO and RP to poultry not only helps to conserve N and increase RP dissolution but also, enriches the compost with S0 achieving better nutrient balance
Publication year 2005
Pages 113-120
Availability location Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, ARC
Availability number
Organization Name
City Alexandria
serial title Alexandria Science Exchange
ISSN 1110-0176
Department Soil Salinity and Alkalinity Res. Lab.
Author(s) from ARC
Agris Categories Soil erosion, conservation and reclamation
AGROVOC
TERMS		 Composts. Maize. Onions. Phosphorus. Sulphur.
Proposed Agrovoc poultry manure;
Publication Type Journal
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