The Effect of Bat Guano Applied to the Soil in Different Forms and Doses on Some Plant Nutrient Contents

Ünal, Mesude; Can, Onur; Can, Bahar Aydın; Poyraz, Koray

doi:10.1080/00103624.2018.1434540

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Apparent N recovery from treatments with guano applied at sowing was close to 100%, indicating more or less complete mineralisation of the organic amendment. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that guano provided nutrients in significant amounts to plants and seem to be in line with the results of other studies in which increases in crop productivity were observed by applying bat guano as a soil amendment [19,21,22].…”

Section: Guano Applied At Sowingsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Bats are present on all continents, except Antarctica, with about 1300 species, which represent 20% of mammalian taxa [18]. Thousands of bats leave their droppings in the caves in which they live, where they accumulate over centuries, harden and turn into guano [19]. The mineral composition of guano is very variable, depending on the species of bats and their main diet, as well as on whether the caves they inhabit are located in dry or humid climatic zones [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The mineral composition of guano is very variable, depending on the species of bats and their main diet, as well as on whether the caves they inhabit are located in dry or humid climatic zones [20]. Nevertheless, several studies have demonstrated a positive effect of bat guano on soil fertility and plant nutrition [19,21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Under a Tropical Climate and in Sandy Soils, Bat Guano Mineralises Very Quickly, Behaving More like a Mineral Fertiliser than a Conventional Farmyard Manure

2023

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In sub-Saharan Africa, soil fertility management must rely on local fertiliser resources since most smallholder farmers do not have access to industrial fertilisers. In Vilankulo, Mozambique, farmers have access to bat guano and biochar, albeit in small amounts, which makes it even more necessary to manage them correctly to maximise crop productivity. This study was carried out with irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) in a haplic Lixisol during the 2017/2018 and 2019 growing seasons. Nine treatments were established consisting of the application of 5 (G5) and 10 (G10) t ha−1 of guano at sowing, 5 (B5) and 10 (B10) t ha−1 of biochar at sowing, 5 [G5(-1)] and 10 [G10(-1)] t ha−1 of guano one month before sowing, 1 and 4 (B1G4) and 2 and 8 (B2G8) t ha−1 of biochar and guano, respectively, at sowing and an unfertilised control (C). Treatments G10 and B2G8 led to the highest maize yields (3.77 and 2.68 t ha−1 in 2018 and 5.05 and 5.17 t ha−1 in 2019, respectively), and were statistically higher than those of the control (1.35 and 1.63 kg ha−1, respectively). Apparent nitrogen recovery from bat guano was close to 100%, showing almost complete mineralisation during the maize growing season, due to its low carbon/nitrogen ratio and very favourable environmental conditions for mineralisation. Due to the fast release of nutrients, bringing forward the application of the organic amendment before sowing is not recommended, since it reduces nutrient use efficiency. Biochar did not significantly influence maize grain yield or contribute significantly to plant nutrition. To take advantage of its potential effect on some soil properties, its use in combination with other materials of greater fertilising value is recommended.

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Section: Guano Applied At Sowingsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Under a Tropical Climate and in Sandy Soils, Bat Guano Mineralises Very Quickly, Behaving More like a Mineral Fertiliser than a Conventional Farmyard Manure

2023

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“…Organic amendments generally increase crop productivity, as they provide nutrients for plant uptake and improve general plant growth conditions by increasing the soil water holding capacity; aeration; and many other physical, chemical and biological soil properties [31,32]. Furthermore, in previous studies where bat guano were used, positive effects on soil properties and/or on variables related to plant growth and yield were reported [13][14][15]33]. In contrast, treatments receiving only biochar as a soil amendment did not increase the plant height or fruit yield compared with the control in these two short-term experiments.…”

Section: Guano Increased Crop Growth and Yield But Biochar Did Notmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Mapinhane, VilanKulo district, southern Mozambique, there are natural deposits of bat excrement named guano that present a great opportunity for farmers to fertilize their crops. Previous studies showed a positive effect of applying guano in the improvement of soil properties and crop yields [13][14][15]. Farmers in this region have also learned how to make biochar through artisanal processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Bat Guano and Biochar on Okra Yield and Some Soil Properties

2023

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The difficulty in obtaining commercial fertilizers by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa makes it very important to optimize the use of local organic resources. In VilanKulo, Mozambique, a study was carried out on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) over two growing seasons. The soil was a haplic, loamy-sand textured Lixisol. As organic amendments, bat guano and biochar were used. Bat guano is a phosphorus (P)-rich and low-carbon (C)/nitrogen (N)-ratio material from natural deposits on a cave floor. Biochar is a C-rich material prepared via an artisanal process using forest residues as a feedstock. Bat guano was applied at two rates (5 and 10 t ha−1) just before sowing. It was also applied at the same rates one month before sowing. Biochar was used at two rates (5 and 10 t ha−1) applied at sowing. Biochar and guano were mixed at the rates of 1 and 4 t ha−1 and 2 and 8 t ha−1, respectively, and applied at sowing. The experiment also used a non-fertilized control. Field trials were arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The treatments that received high rates of guano tended to show significantly higher fruit yields (>10 t ha−1 as the two-year average) in comparison with the control, which showed the lowest average okra fruit yield (6.21 t ha−1). In the guano treatments, the apparent recovery by okra of some important nutrients, such as N, was greater than the amount of the nutrient contained in the guano itself. This result, together with many others related to the tissue nutrient concentration, soil properties and residual fertilizing value in guano plots, indicated a strong mineralization of guano during the growing season. This was probably due to its low C/N ratio and favourable environmental conditions for the mineralization process. The result also suggests some kind of manuring effect, i.e., a fertilizing effect of guano beyond what can be explained by the nutrient supply. The use of biochar increased the total organic C in the soil and cation exchange capacity (CEC) compared with the control but did not affect the variables related to plant performance. Overall, the results showed that farmers can benefit from the use of guano in the short term because it releases nutrients, while with the use of biochar, the benefits can arise in the long term by improving the soil properties.

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Actinobacterial community in Shuanghe Cave using culture-dependent and -independent approaches

Long

Juan

et al. 2019

World J Microbiol Biotechnol

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The Effect of Bat Guano Applied to the Soil in Different Forms and Doses on Some Plant Nutrient Contents

Cited by 14 publications

References 4 publications

Under a Tropical Climate and in Sandy Soils, Bat Guano Mineralises Very Quickly, Behaving More like a Mineral Fertiliser than a Conventional Farmyard Manure

Under a Tropical Climate and in Sandy Soils, Bat Guano Mineralises Very Quickly, Behaving More like a Mineral Fertiliser than a Conventional Farmyard Manure

Effect of Bat Guano and Biochar on Okra Yield and Some Soil Properties

Actinobacterial community in Shuanghe Cave using culture-dependent and -independent approaches

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