Cattle manure quality in Maragua District, Central Kenya: effect of management practices and development of simple methods of assessment

被引:48
作者
Lekasi, JK
Tanner, JC
Kimani, SK
Harris, PJC [1 ]
机构
[1] HDRA, Ryton Organ Gardens, Coventry CV8 3LG, W Midlands, England
[2] Kenya Agr Res Inst, Nairobi, Kenya
[3] Int Livestock Res Inst, Nairobi, Kenya
关键词
Kenya; manure assessment; manure management; manure quality; nutrient concentration;
D O I
10.1016/S0167-8809(02)00037-3
中图分类号
S [农业科学];
学科分类号
09 ;
摘要
Three hundred mixed, smallholder farms in Kariti location, Kandara Division, Maragua District, Central Kenya, were surveyed. Dairy cattle management practices, including type of animal enclosure, roofing, floor type, drainage, use of bedding, feeding of concentrates; and manure management practices, including methods of manure handling and storage prior to utilization, and the addition of urine and organic materials to manure were documented. The concentrations of C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, and the C:N ratio of manure-composts prepared on-farm were analysed. The P concentration of manure was higher from zero-grazing units than from improved or traditional housing, higher from housing with roofs than from that without, higher when animals were fed concentrates than when not, and higher when manure was stored in a heap or pit rather than in a deep littering system. Use of bedding in the livestock housing resulted in manure with lower mineral N concentration and higher C:N ratio. Turning manure during composting resulted in manure with a higher mineral N concentration and lower C:N ratio. Results suggest that modification of traditional livestock housing (boma) to the zero-grazing system may have beneficial effects on some aspects of manure quality. Data on manure texture, colour, smell and biological activity were collected in an attempt to relate manure nutrient concentration and C:N ratio to easily discernible characteristics of manure-composts on-farm. Significant relationships were found between manure texture and the concentrations of P and mineral N, and C:N ratio. Significant relationships were also found between manure colour and N concentration and between manure age and mineral N concentration. Thus, there is scope for the development of decision tools to predict manure-compost quality from at least some manure characteristics. Dichotomous keys were prepared to determine mean manure C:N ratio and mineral N concentration on the basis of manure age and texture. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:289 / 298
页数:10
相关论文
共 23 条
[1]  
Anderson J.M., 1996, TROPICAL SOIL BIOL F
[2]  
Camara OS, 1996, 18 PSS
[3]   Effect of pH, temperature, amount of litter and storage density on ammonia emissions from stable manure [J].
Dewes, T .
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE, 1996, 127 :501-509
[4]   NITROGEN LOSSES FROM MANURE HEAPS [J].
DEWES, T .
BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE, 1995, 11 (1-4) :309-317
[5]  
GARFORTH CJ, 1997, OCCASIONAL PUBLICATI, V1, P17
[6]   Manure management by smallholder farmers in the Kano close-settled zone, Nigeria [J].
Harris, F ;
Yusuf, MA .
EXPERIMENTAL AGRICULTURE, 2001, 37 (03) :319-332
[7]  
KEMPPAINEN E, 1989, ANN AGR FENN, V28, P165
[8]  
LEKASI JK, 2000, THESIS CONVENTRY U U
[9]  
LEKASI JK, 1998, MANURE MANAGEMENT KE
[10]   PERCEPTION AND MANAGEMENT OF FARMYARD MANURE IN THE SEMIARID TROPICS OF INDIA [J].
MOTAVALLI, PP ;
SINGH, RP ;
ANDERS, MM .
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS, 1994, 46 (02) :189-204