Cattle manure and reseeding effects on pasture productivity

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 2019

The combined application of cattle manure and inorganic fertilizer has been widely recommended in the context of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the conditions under which this combination (hereafter ISFM) improves nutrient and water use efficiency and crop yields have not been systematically studied. Therefore, we undertook a meta-analysis of studies conducted in rain-fed maize production systems across SSA with the objective of (1) quantifying the magnitude of improvement in grain yield, rain use efficiency (RUE), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN) and phosphorus (AEP) due to ISFM; (2) determining conditions under which ISFM achieves greater yield response, RUE, AEN and AEP; and (3) compare yield responses to the substitutive and additive approaches of ISFM with sole application of cattle manure. Application of high rates of cattle manure in combination with high N fertilizer rates increased yield response only by 27.5%, but it achieved 47% lower AEN and 27% lower AEP relative to a combination of low manure and low N fertilizer rate. The substitutive approach of ISFM achieved 54% greater AEN and 16% greater AEP than the additive ISFM approach. Yield response and AEN also significantly varied with soil type. On most soil types, AEN was 2-195% lower under sole manure than under ISFM or sole fertilizer. We recommend application of moderate rates of cattle manure (5-10 t ha-1) combined with moderate doses of N fertilizer (\ 50 kg N ha-1) on responsive soils to

Western Kenya is one of Africa’s most densely populated rural areas, characterised by intensive smallholder crop–livestock systems on degraded lands managed with small inputs of mineral fertiliser and animal manure. Competing uses for crop residues and other organic resources often results in poor nutrient cycling efficiencies at farm scale. Modifying livestock feeding, retaining more crop residues in the field, and improving manure management can help conserving considerable amount of nutrients on-farm. To examine to what extent such strategies would be feasible, we analysed whole-farm nutrient cycling efficiencies (NCE) of a range of farms differing in resource-endowment and production orientation, identifying the most efficient farmer strategies considering labour and financial constraints. Nutrient concentration in excreted cattle manure was relatively small (i.e., N < 1.7%; P < 0.6%). Current manure management practices led to low NCE’s (average 27%) due to nutrient losses from excretion through storage and application. Farmers have few incentives to improve manure management given the small amounts of excreta and nutrients to be recycled. Yet, manure, both composted and fresh, represented the greatest N (16 kg ha−1 season−1) and C returns to the soil (312 kg C ha−1 season−1). Retention of crop residues was the cheapest source of nutrient inputs for the next crop, especially when compared with manure, but farmers prioritised its use for cattle feeding. Our findings highlight the critical lack of nutrients and organic residues on smallholder farms in the densely-populated highlands of East Africa, as well as low NCE when it comes to manure. In these conditions, efficient nutrient cycling for manure and improved cattle feeding are essential to increase use efficiencies of any possible external nutrient added in these farms.

American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences

The Ethiopian economy is mainly agrarian. It employs 85% of the population and contributes 45% of the gross domestic product and 90% of the national export earnings but agriculture in Ethiopia is dominated by rainfed farming with low productivity specially dry land part of the country like Somali region. As a result, crops have severe moisture stress through their growth stages. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at Somali region of sandy clay loam soil in the year 2012/13 to assess the effectiveness of different manure applications rate, enhancing soil moisture and thereby productivity. The experiment was arranged in a random complete block design RCBD with three replications; and three rates-ofmanure applications 0 tons/ha, 3 tons/ha and 6 tons/ha having a total of nine treatments plot were tested. The analysis of variance for the results of the study indicated that the significant differences were observed in soil bulk density, porosity and available moisture content due to different levels of animal manure applications. Soil moisture content at different soil depths at an interval of 15 days also showed a significant difference due to animal manure. The maximum (35.67%) average soil moisture content was recorded due to 6 tons of manure as compared to the moisture content recorded from without manure (31.10%). Therefore, 6 tons of animal manure may be recommended to reduce the risk of moisture stress and to fetch a good yield in the study area. The application of manure results to high soil infiltration rate and it could be important approach for dry land farmers.

Experimental Agriculture

Combined use of lime, animal manure and inorganic fertilisers is effective in replenishing the fertility of degraded acid soils. However, many smallholder farmers lack access to sufficient amounts of these inputs to improve the fertility and reduce the aluminium toxicity of Ferralsols. Organic manures are available but often have low nutrient content, which limits their ability to supply nutrients to soils. In a two-factor field experiment over four seasons on an Anthropic Ferralsol in Southern Province, Rwanda, we assessed (i) the effect of cattle manure on soil properties at a reduced rate affordable to smallholder farmers compared with that of NPK fertiliser applied, with and without lime also at a reduced rate, and (ii) the effect of supplementing grass in a basal cattle diet with legume leaves on manure quality and its effect on soil properties. Manure from cattle fed only the grass Chloris gayana (grass-only manure) and from cattle fed C. gayana supplemented with Acacia angust...

Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 2010

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Cattle manure and inorganic fertiliser use in smallholder peri-urban crop-livestock farms in Uganda was investigated by conducting a survey of 40 farms in the central districts of Wakiso and Kampala. The results showed that the major benefits obtained from cattle manure application were increased yields (52.5 %) and low cost of manure purchase (37.5 %). The major problems associated with its use included weight and bulkiness (75 %), lack of labour (67.5 %), insufficient quantities (55 %), high transportation and application costs (37.5%), enhanced weed infestation (35 %), poor hygienic conditions (32.5 %) and lack of storage facilities to maintain quality attributes of manure (32.5 %). A large number of farmers supplemented the cattle manure with other animal manures, such as poultry (45 %), pig (38 %), goat (33 %) and rabbit (18 %) manures where available. The majority of farmers (95 %) never supplemented manure with inorganic fertiliser claiming that it was expensive in terms of purchase and transportation (90 %) and lack of capital to purchase the fertilisers (67.5 %). Farmers were aware of the benefits of using cattle manure as a source of fertiliser in their crop-livestock production system. However, the nutrient content of cattle manure was low (0.42-0.56 % total N), being attributed to poor handling, collection and storage of manure, insufficient fodder and poor livestock diet, which need better management to maximise nutrient recovery. There was little information available to farmers regarding optimum management and rates of fertiliser application (both inorganic and organic) to improve crop yields, which is required to improve food security and economic development in Uganda. Ugandan extension services should therefore make efforts to intensify education among farmers in relation to soil fertility management options. In addition, farmers should collect and store the manure properly and preferably in a covered pit to enhance manure quality. Effective manure handling and storage systems should be designed that reduce loss of nutrients after excretion and during composting. Farmers should explore the viability of community based manure collection initiatives at the farm level where manure transportation costs are shared and hence minimized.

2007

This paper explores effects of animal and manure management in a dairy unit on the nutrient economy of crop-livestock farms in East Africa. For this purpose, 8 cattle management scenarios have been developed based on farming systems in Mbeere, Kenya (extensive), Wakiso, Uganda (semi-intensive) and Kibichoi, Kenya (intensive). Three baseline scenarios represent present-day cattle management; five improved scenarios use the same dairy breeds but have improved nutrition, using younger grass, more legumes and moderate amounts of concentrates. These improvements strongly increase milk production per cow, but also N, P and K excretion in manure. The 8 cattle management scenarios are combined with 2 levels of manure management technology: a baseline technology, reflecting actual manure management and related losses of plant nutrients, and an improved technology with lower losses. Nutrient losses for each technology level have been derived from a thorough analysis of published information. This showed that current systems of collection and storage of the excreta of confined dairy cows are associated with large nutrient losses, in particular of N. These losses cause serious deficits on the N, P and K balances of the crop-livestock farms. Therefore, significant external N, P and K inputs and better manure management are required to sustain the production levels assumed and to avoid further soil fertility depletion in the region. The paper identifies several possibilities for this and concludes that there is a strong need for integral on-farm studies aiming at development of sustainable dairy production systems.

2006

Livestock manure is a valuable source of plant nutrients for crop production in the Central Kenyan highlands but its quality in terms of available nitrogen (N) is low due to considerable N losses through ammonia volatilization. This study aimed at assessing the potential of agroorganic wastes to reduce N losses from manure heaps during the storage period. Three organic amendments selected from a laboratory simulation experiment were evaluated under farmers' conditions in Karura, Kiambu District for their ability to reduce N losses from cattle manure heaps. The effect of a polyethylene sheet covering of manure heaps on N retention was also determined. There were eight treatments that comprised three agro-organic amendments (maize stover, coffee pulp and sawdust) and the control, with or without a polyethylene cover. Agronomic effectiveness of the "treated" manure samples and N uptake by maize seedlings was evaluated in a glasshouse experiment. Total N content of manure amended with organic materials ranged from 1.26 to 1.85%. The N in manures with organic amendments at the start and at the end of storage was significantly different (p ≤ 0.05). Cumulative N loss ranged from 1.60 to 6.80 g kg -1 depending on the type of amendment. Nitrogen lost from non-amended manure was 2.74 g kg -1 with polyethylene cover and 6.80 g kg -1 without the polyethylene cover, which represented 19 and 46% of the initial N respectively. Maize growth improved significantly (p≤0.05) with increasing rates of manure irrespective of the organic treatments except for manure amended with sawdust. Treatments that received the recommended rate of N at 100 kg N ha -1 had significantly higher (p≤0.05) biomass (21.55 g plant -1 ) than the control which produced only 2.78 g/plant. Nitrogen uptake increased with increasing rates of manure and was higher (p≤0.05) with manure amended with coffee pulp. Covering manure heaps to reduce moisture loss was also beneficial in reducing N losses.

2009

Manure is an important source of nutrients for many smallholder farmers in East Africa, with cattle manure being the dominant manure type. Information on nutrient losses between excretion and application of manure is still limited under smallholder conditions in the tropics, also due to the wide variation in farming conditions and variation in livestock and manure management. In the first part of this report manure quality, mainly from cattle, and nutrient losses during manure collection and storage are reviewed. The second part explores and discusses effects of 8 cattle and manure management scenarios on nutrient and manure availability.

Field Crops Research, 2021

Animal manure provides plant nutrients and also affects soil nutrient availability, pH buffering and soil physical properties through its contribution to soil organic matter pools. However, the quality and quantity of manure are often low on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa and the initial effect of manuring on crop yield may be small or even negative. In a two-factorial experiment over four seasons in southern Rwanda, the fertiliser value to a maize crop of manures produced by cattle fed a basal diet of only Chloris gayana grass or a mixed C. gayana-Acacia angustissima diet was compared with that of NPK 17− 17− 17 and no fertiliser. The potential liming effect of the manures was also evaluated through inclusion (or not) of travertine as the second factor. All amendments were applied only to maize planting holes. The crop failed in season 1 due to drought, but manure application (5 t ha − 1) approximately doubled maize yield compared with the unfertilised control during seasons 2-4, while NPK (70 kg N ha − 1) increased yield by 3-to 4-fold, with corresponding improvements in crop performance indicators. The mixed diet increased manure quality and maize yield compared with the grass diet in season 4. Liming showed a consistent tendency to improve crop performance indicators and yield, but significant differences were only identified in some cases, possibly because the pH increase was small. The results suggest that in regions where manure availability is limiting, application of reduced rates only to planting holes may be an efficient technology. Enhanced animal feed can result in higher quality manure, and ultimately increase crop yield, if nutrient losses during manure handling and storage can be limited.