EFFECTS OF POULTRY DROPPINGS APPLICATION ON SELECTED PROPERTIES OF LATERITIC SOILS DERIVED FROM BASALTS ON THE JOS PLATEAU, NIGERIA

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges confronting farmers on the Jos Plateau, as in other parts of the tropics, is soil fertility maintenance. In addition, lateritization the tropical soil forming process, has resulted into soils with very low inherent fertility. The high cost of chemical fertilizers has necessitated farmers to seek alternative sources of fertilizer material and poultry droppings application has found wide acceptance. This research was carried out to study the effects of poultry manure on selected soil properties on a lateritized basalt in Bokkos L.G.A. of Plateau State. Soils samples were collected from an area of highly ferruginized soils, not cultivated and where there has not been application of poultry manure and from two farms where the farmers had been applying poultry manure for over 10 years. A total of 3 profile pits were dug and 16 soil samples collected. Results of physical and chemical analyses showed that water content was higher for soils with poultry manure application with 18 and 20% and 28 and 16% for surface and subsurface horizons compared to 8 and 10% for soils without poultry droppings application respectively. The organic matter content for the surface soils with poultry droppings application were higher with values of 3.42 and 1.36% and 3.92 and 1.42% compared to 0.75 and 0.60% for soils without poultry droppings application. Another positive effect was found in the total nitrogen content of the soils. While it was 0.350 and 0.245 cmol/kg and 0.245 and 0.280cmol/kg soils with poultry droppings application, it was 0.210 and
0.140 cmol/kg for those without. Exchangeable Mg content was also higher for soils with poultry droppings application. Results of t test confirmed significant differences in contents of total nitrogen and organic matter between the two groups of soils.The study has shown that poultry droppings application is capable of building up the organic matter levels and general fertility of soils. The practice of liming was recommended to maximize the benefits of the high organic matter content of the soils in view of the generally low pH values obtained.