Manure Management Methods to Enhance Nutrient Quantity and Quality on Smallholdings in the Central Kenya Highlands

Lekasi, J.K.; Tanner, J.C.; Kimani, S.K.; Harris, P.J.C.

doi:10.1080/01448765.2002.9754936

Cited by 13 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The initial quality of the manure stored may be also highly variable, as influenced by livestock feeding and management systems, the type of livestock or the type of stalling facilities from where it is collected. The manure used in this experiment had an initial quality that was better than the average manure quality on local farms (Lekasi et al 2002;. Livestock feeding and animal productivity have important consequences for the quality of excreted manure (Delve et al 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different storage systems produce manures of varying quality in terms of nutrient content, including cases in which up to 90% of the mass in the collected manure is sand (Mugwira and Murwira 1997). Mass losses from manure stored in heaps reported for African smallholder systems ranged from 15% to 50%, depending on the conditions and duration of storage (Lekasi et al 2002). Isolated studies including controlled experiments, modelling and on-farm measurements, suggest that N losses during storage may account for 30-50% of all N losses from manure (Rufino et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Yet, whilst changes in nutrient concentrations are commonly reported, few studies report mass losses during manure collection and storage, and this prevents the analysis of the efficiency of nutrient cycling at farm or farming system scale. In smallholder farming systems of East and southern Africa the most common systems of manure storage include heaps or piles, pits, or manure left in the kraals and collected just before planting (e.g., Nzuma and Murwira 2000; Lekasi et al 2002). Manure stored in heaps or pits is normally mixed with other organic materials such as crop residues, tree prunings or litter, kitchen ashes, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Carbon and nutrient losses during manure storage under traditional and improved practices in smallholder crop-livestock systems—evidence from Kenya

et al. 2009

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In the absence of mineral fertiliser, animal manure may be the only nutrient resource available to smallholder farmers in Africa, and manure is often the main input of C to the soil when crop residues are removed from the fields. Assessments of C and nutrient balances and cycling within agroecosystems or of greenhouse gas emissions often assume average C and nutrient mass fractions in manure, disregarding the impact that manure storage may have on C and nutrient losses from the system. To quantify such losses, in order to refine our models of C and nutrient cycling in smallholder (crop-livestock) farming systems, an experiment was conducted reproducing farmers' practices: heaps vs. pits of a mix of cattle manure and maize stover (2:3 v/v) stored in the open air during 6 months. Heaps stored under a simple roof were also evaluated as an affordable improvement of the storage conditions. The results were used to derive empirical models and graphs for the estimation of C and nutrient losses. Heaps and pits were turned every month, weighed, and sampled to determine organic matter, total and mineral N, P and K mass fractions. Soils beneath heaps/pits were sampled to measure mineral N to a depth of 1 m, and leaching tube tests in the laboratory were used to estimate P leaching from manure. After 6 months, ca. 70% remained of the initial dry mass of manure stored in pits, but only half of or less of the manure stored in heaps. The stored manure lost 45% of its C in the open air and 69% under roof. The efficiencies of nutrient retention during storage varied between 24-38% for total N, 34-38% for P and 18-34% for K, with the heaps under a roof having greater efficiencies of retention of N and K. Laboratory tests indicated that up to 25% of the P contained in fresh manure could be lost by leaching. Results suggest that reducing the period of storage by, for example, more frequent application and incorporation of manure into the soil may have a larger impact on retaining C and nutrient within the farm system than improving storage conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Carbon and nutrient losses during manure storage under traditional and improved practices in smallholder crop-livestock systems—evidence from Kenya

et al. 2009

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“…Published results (Lekasi et al, 2001a;Ayako, 2005;Joleen, 2007;Joleen et al, 2008) only report one value for P 2 O 5 content of manure excreted (5 g/kg DM manure) and do not specify the P levels in the rations used to compile the data. Therefore, calculated values of P-excretion for lactating cows were used rather than the P 2 O 5 results from published sources to better account for the varying levels of P inclusion in rations.…”

Section: Prediction Of Minimum Phosphorous Excretionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, the NEMA waste and nutrient management planning is focused on crop nutrient management and waste treatment. However, efforts on how to deal with manure as a waste and/or fertilizer are weak (Waste Management Regulations, 2006;Lekasi et al, 2001a;Lekasi et al, 2001b;Ayako, 2005). Therefore, additional environmental regulations specific to excess manure pollutant nutrients will continue to be developed and implemented in Kenya, since NEMA regulations on dairy farm manure storage and disposal have implications on how livestock, milk and dairy products are produced and marketed.…”

Section: Minimum P-excretion For Environmental Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporation of Milk Yield, Dry Matter Intake and Phosphorous Excretion Predictive Functions in the Development of a Multi-Objective Dairy Feed Formulation Software Program

Mutua¹,

Bebe²,

Kahi³

et al. 2013

JAS

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Predictive functions for milk yield, dry matter intake, and phosphorous-manure derived from the National Research Council 2001 and the present study were incorporated in the development of a multiple objective dairy feed formulation software program (MoF-Dairy Edition-2010); that attempted to optimise feed cost, milk yield and profits while minimising Phosphorous-excretion in manure. Important objects in the feed milling industry considered in the program development were feed millers, dairy farmers, and government feed policy regulatory guidelines. The multi-objective formulation approach comprises hierarchical design levels which include data, model, tools, and output layers. Program database objects are manipulated using VB.NET programming language within a Microsoft .NET Framework Environment. Users interact with the program by providing individual details after which a customer system instance is created. Program formulation inputs are entered through VB forms linked to the core simulation model layer (Microsoft SQL Server Database) to automatically calculate and generate nutrient requirements in accordance with NRC, 2001 for the particular cow or cow production groups under specified production performance parameters. The final solution is obtained by allowing the program to solve for the most feasible combination of available ingredients under the imposed formulation, ingredient as well as nutrient constraints. Program outputs include tailor-made reports on feed formulae; and the accompanying physical nutrient compositions and nutrient deviation analysis; potential unit and gross P-manure environmental pollution, and business economic analysis; detailing concentrate supplementation rates per cow per milking as well as the corresponding projected daily milk profit margins.

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Antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in poultry and animals’ manure and their effects on environment and human health

Sarwar

Khan

2023

Fate of Biological Contaminants During Recycling of Organic Wastes

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Manure Management Methods to Enhance Nutrient Quantity and Quality on Smallholdings in the Central Kenya Highlands

Cited by 13 publications

References 8 publications

Carbon and nutrient losses during manure storage under traditional and improved practices in smallholder crop-livestock systems—evidence from Kenya

Carbon and nutrient losses during manure storage under traditional and improved practices in smallholder crop-livestock systems—evidence from Kenya

Incorporation of Milk Yield, Dry Matter Intake and Phosphorous Excretion Predictive Functions in the Development of a Multi-Objective Dairy Feed Formulation Software Program

Antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in poultry and animals’ manure and their effects on environment and human health

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