Assessment of Manure Compost Used as Soil Amendment—A Review (original) (raw)

Utilisation of manure composts by high-value crops: Safety and environmental challenges

Bioresource Technology, 2009

The intensification in livestock production has increased the need of efficient treatments of waste streams especially to preserve as much as possible, the nutrients into the soil-plant system. Composting is a cheap, efficient and sustainable treatment for solid wastes that is always included in any manure treatment scenario. In this paper, an overview about the environmental and safety challenges of composting of manures is made considering the compost quality requirements established by the main demanding sectors. Co-composting and additive strategies are presented as feasible options for the improvement of compost quality. For quality evaluation of manure compost, the use of both classical and innovative instrumental techniques could increase our knowledge about added properties in compost, especially those related to organic matter stability.

The Nutrient Potential of Organic Manure and Its Risk to the Environment

Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 2022

The livestock sector is an important component of agriculture that involves the breeding of various types of domestic animals. Although animal husbandry is a key activity in global food production, providing food for human society, income, jobs, nutrients, etc. it also has negative consequences, being the second largest polluter after the power industry. An important issue related to the livestock sector is manure produced by animals. The purpose of this paper is to understand the potential of organic manure nutrients as well as the negative effects they can have on the environment. In order to carry out the study, investigations were required regarding the calorific value and the elementary analysis (C, N, H, S, O) for five different types samples of manure from: poultry, sheep, cow, horse and pig. All types of manure have a moisture content of between 40-60% and can be used for composting. With manure we can produce biogas, but is necessary to know the correct way of managing manure in order not to lead to pollution

Compost Production and Composted Manure Quality Evaluation

Acta Horticulturae, 2013

Composted manure can have an important role in production of substrate for growing seedlings, which would make the organic waste management more costeffective, but also decrease the cost of seedlings production. Production of composted manure is of significant importance for family farms as well and even more so for farms practicing integral and organic agriculture. This research aims to establish the changes in physical and chemical characteristics of manure from cattle, horse, pig and poultry production during the composting process. The composting process was stopped after 9 months, when the compost was stable (2-4 mg CO 2-C g-1 OM d-1). Analysis of physical and chemical characteristics was conducted according to TMECC 03.09-A methods. Temperatures necessary for disinfection of the compost material were developed during the process. The content of ash also significantly increased (37% on average) while the portion of the organic matter decreased. Compared to the initial material, the concentration of P, K, Ca and Mg after 9 months of composting was significantly increased in all composts, namely P and K 42% on average and Ca and Mg 71 and 72% respectively. At the end of composting, all the composts had C/N ratio below 20:1, which indicates their stability. However, some researchers think that the ratio between the final and initial C/N (<0.6 to 0.75) is a better indicator of compost maturity, and according to that all the composts, with the exception of the chicken one (0.86), were mature. When using NH 4 +-N/NO 3-N ratio as the indicator of compost stability (<0.16), the composts derived from cattle (semi-mature and fresh) and horse manure were stable (<0.14), composted pig manure almost stable (0.64), while the composted chicken manure was still very unstable (14.75).

Characterization of Composted Organic Amendments for Agricultural Use

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

The application of organic amendments to agricultural soil provides organic matter and valuable nutrients, improves soil structure, increases its water holding capacity and stimulates soil microbial communities. However, when using organic amendments of animal and/or anthropogenic origin, the risk of contamination with organic and/or inorganic compounds, as well as the risk of dissemination of potential human pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, must be taken into account. Here, we characterized seven amendments used in organic farming, in order to evaluate the agro-environmental consequences of their utilization. Amendments (vermicompost, bokashi, municipal solid waste, compost in pellet form, composted cow manure from intensive farms, composted cow manure from organic farms, composted sheep manure from organic farms) were sampled for the determination of (i) the presence of chemical (metals, aromatics, halogenated hydrocarbons, pesticides, phthalates, and total petroleum hydrocarbons) and biological (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, relative abundance of the integrase intl1 gene) contaminants; and (ii) their quality, in terms of physicochemical (moisture, organic matter, nutrients, C/N ratio) and microbial (potentially mineralizable nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, bacterial and fungal abundance by real-time PCR, community-level physiological profiles through Biolog EcoPlates TM) properties. Regarding metal concentrations, the only amendments that met the Spanish legal requirements for "Class A" fertilizers were composted intensive and organic cow manure. Zinc was the most limiting metal for the use of these amendments. None of the amendments showed high concentrations of organic contaminants. Bokashi was the only amendment in which Salmonella was detected. Besides, bokashi showed a high abundance of the integrase intl1 gene associated with class 1 integrons. Composted organic sheep manure showed the highest content of organic matter, total nitrogen, and extractable humic acids. Composted intensive cow manure showed highest values of microbial activity (potentially mineralizable N) and biomass (microbial biomass C, total bacteria). Owing to its low content of potentially health-threatening contaminants and its highest quality, as reflected by the Amendment Quality Index, composted intensive cow manure was concluded to be the most suitable amendment for agricultural use.

Green Manure for Sustainable Crop Production: A Review

International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 2024

Green manuring is an economical and eco-friendly scientific approach to achieve more resilient and sustainable food production for agricultural systems. Incorporation of green manure improves soil condition by increasing soil physical, chemical and biological properties such as organic matter, availability of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and also improves soil structure by preventing soil erosion, increasing water holding capacity etc. Green manure acts as a natural fertilizer, releasing nutrients into the soil as it decomposes and increases the nutrient content in the soil and shows positive effect on plant growth and development. Addition of green manure crops contribute to greater fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, and when decomposed, makes the nitrogen availability in the soil, reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in crops. Furthermore, it has a significant impact on several plant growth and yield parameters, resulting in increased agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.

The Effects of Green Manure on Sustainable Agriculture Soil Conservation under Open Field Conditions

IJERD – International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development, 2023

Green manure is a type of crop that is used for soil enhancement, both physical and biological. It is enriched with organic matter that provides nutrients to the soil and improves soil fertility. However, improper chemical use by farmers results in soil degradation and adverse effects on beneficial soil microorganisms. To mitigate this problem, farmers need to use fertilizer only as required. The purpose of the current study was to grasp the efficacy of green manure on soil improvement, with consideration of the principles of sustainable agriculture. The research aimed to study the effect of green manure on soil properties including soil pH, soil EC, and available nitrogen. Experiments were carried out in field conditions at the National Meanchey University, Cambodia, from June 25 to July 25, 2022. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (CRBD) with 4 treatments and 8 replications utilizing green manure produced from different plants. Treatment T0 represented the control, T1 Glycine max, T2 Vigna radiata, and T3 Crotalaria Juncea. The result showed that green manure has a significantly positive effect on soil properties such as pH, electric conductivity, and available nitrogen. T3 produced the highest posttreatment soil pH and reduction in soil electric conductivity (EC), which averaged 7.14 and 0.46, respectively. T2 provided the greatest amount of available nitrogen, while untreated soil was not significantly different among treatments. Therefore, the application of green manure can be a vital choice in soil improvement for sustainable agriculture and increased yield.