NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT
Journal of the Faculties of Science and Agriculture, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

ISSN: 1119-9008
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE
Email: njse@universityjournals.org


EFFECT OF POULTRY LITTER AND COW DUNG SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE BIOCONVERSION OF SOLID MUNICIPAL WASTE TO ORGANIC FERTILIZER

DOI: 10.5987/UJ-NJSE.16.036.1   |   Article Number: C6F3A92   |   Vol.11 (1) - September 2012

Authors:  Akponah E and Ikeanumba M.O

The suitability of poultry litter, cow dung and leguminous plant supplementation in the bioconversion of solid municipal waste to organic fertilizer using indigenous microorganisms was investigated. The windrow method of composting was adopted and five mesocosms designated cell I, II, III, IV and V were used. One hundred and twenty kilogram of solid waste which included municipal solid waste, grasses and leaves were distributed into the various mesocosms. Cells I, II and III were supplemented with poultry litter, cow dung and leguminous plants respectively. A combination of all the three supplements was added to cell IV while Cell V received no supplement. Each of these were allowed to compost for 90days. Average temperature values ranging from 39-51oC, 38-52oC, 31-48oC, 39-60oC and 32-42oC were recorded in cells I, II, III, IV and V respectively, throughout the composting duration. It was observed that total organic carbon, organic nitrogen and pH values decreased progressively with increase in composting duration. The pH values obtained decreased from 8.2 to 5.09 (cell I). 9.32 to 6.02 (cell II), 7.52 to 6.21 (cell III), 10.28 to 5.30 (cell IV) and 7.52 to 6.93 (cell V). At the end of composting, products of high nutrient value though to varying degree were obtained in various cells. The nutrient composition in cell I supplemented with poultry litter was 9.8mg/g (nitrate), 2.05mg/g (ammonium-nitrogen), 8.4mg/g (phosphate) and 0.04 mg/g (sulphate). Nutrient values of product obtained in cell II were 37.8mg/g (nitrate), 10.46 mg/g (ammonium-nitrogen), 15.82mg/g (phosphate) and 1.89mg/g (sulphate). In cell III, the values of nitrate, ammonium-nitrogen, phosphate and sulphate were 21.4, 5.73, 9.13 and 0.62 (mg/g) respectively. Highest values were obtained in cell IV with 85mg/g nitrate, 97mg/g ammonium-nitrogen, 28.4mg/g phosphate and 1.03mg/g sulphate. Loamy soil amended with the various produced compost, significantly influenced growth and development of bean seed used as indicator crop. Amendment of soil with NPK 15:15:15 yielded 15.3cm increase in leaf length and 8.25g crop dry weight. Analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference among the efficacies of various product as well as NPK fertilizer. However, t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the efficacies of product obtained from cell IV and NPK fertilizer. Simultaneously composting these wastes would act as potential sustainable environmentally friendly route of solid waste management and disposal as well as value added organic fertilizer for agronomic use.

Ahmad, K., Jilani, G., Arshad, M., Zahir,

Z.A and Khalid, A (2007). Bioconversion

of organic wastes for their recycling in agriculture.

An overview of perspectives and

prospects. Annals of Microbiology 54(94):

471-479.

AOAC (1990). Association of Official Analytical

Chemist. Method of Analysis. 13th

edn. Washington D.C. USA. 438pp

Barnet, H.L. and Hunter, B.B (1972). Illustrated

genera of imperfect fungi. 3rd edn,

Burges Publishing Company, Minneapolis

208pp.

Chen, H. and Sun, F (2007). Novel bioconversion

of wheat straw to Bio-organic fertilizer

in a solid-state bioreactor. Bioprocess

and Biosystems Engineering 30: 99-

105.

Cook, B.D., Halbach, T.R., Rosen, C.J. and

Monccrief, J.F. (1994). Effect of a waste

stream component on the agronomic properties

of municipal solid waste compost.

Blackwell scientific publications, Oxford.

426pp.

Gajdos, R. (1998). Bioconversion of organic

waste by the year 2010: to recycle elements

and save energy. Resources, Conservation

and Recycling 23: 67-86.

Hoitink, H.A.J., Chen, W., Trillas-Gay,

M.I. and Chung, Y.R. (1986). Compost

for control of plant diseases. Applied Science

8: 414-419

Holt, J.G., Kreig, N.R., Sneath, P.H.A., Staley,

J.T. and Williams, T (1994). Bergey’s

manual of determinative bacteriology. 9th

ed. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.

Katherine, E.B. and Grant, P (2000). Producing

quality compost from livestock manure.

Journal of Applied Bacteriology 74:

595 - 602 .

Miller, C.P. (1991). Biodegradation of soil

wastes by composting. Elsevier Science

Publication England. 241pp

Nester, E.U., Anderson, D.G., Roberts, C.E.

Pearsall, N.C. and Nester, M.T. (2004).

Microbiology: A human perspective. 4th

edn. McGraw Hill Comp. New York.

817pp

Nwabueze, T.U. and Ugochinyere, O

(2006). Effect of supplementation of African

breadfruit (Treculia Africana) hulls

with organic waste on growth characteristics

of Sacchoromyces cerevisiae African

Journal of Biotechnology 5(16): 1494-

1498.

Okani, Y. and Okazaki, T (1995). Actinomycetes

in marine environments. Applied

Science 17: 21-25

Richard, B.N. (1987). The Microbiology of

terrestrial ecosystems. Longman Scientific

and Technical Publication, New York.

431pp.