Volume 11, Issue 23, January - June 2025

Short-term impacts of heavy poultry manure addition on the properties of loamy-sand Alfisols later evaluated using okra

Paul Omaye Joseph^♦, Frank Ojochegbe Ojomah, Anejodo Eyojo Ejiga, John Babatunde Abioye

Department of Soil and Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Prince Abubakar Audu University, PMB 1008, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Soil and Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Prince Abubakar Audu University, PMB 1008, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The uncontrolled disposal of large quantities of poultry waste onto the soil surface by poultry farmers poses significant long-term risks to soil health. While long-term concerns remain, this study focused on the implications of short-term impacts of heavy application of poultry manure on soil chemical and hydraulic characteristics, as well as its subsequent effects on okra growth indices. Poultry manure was applied to 10 kg potted soil at varying rates of 0, 20, 40, and 60 kg/ha, designated as PM0, PM20, PM40, and PM60, respectively, with five replicates per treatment. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD). Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected from the experimental units at 8 and 12 weeks after incorporation (WAI) for determination of chemical and hydraulic properties using standard methods. Okra seeds were sowed in the experimental units at 12 WAI, and plant growth data were collected at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after sowing (WAS). Treatment affected all chemical and hydraulic properties measured at 5% probability level except total N at 12 WAI. Overall, the different manure rates showed similar values amongst one another, suggesting that the optimal benefits of poultry manure addition was achieved at the lowest application rate of 20 t/ha. The agronomic parameters, including plant height, leaf area, and leaf numbers, were affected by the treatments across the sampling periods.

Keywords: Poultry manure rates, chemical properties, hydraulic properties, okra growth, disturbed soil, undisturbed soil

Discovery Agriculture, 2025, 11, e4da1617

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v11i23.e4da1617

Published: 27 February 2025