Comparison between processed and un-process livestock manure application on Pennisetum purpureum growth performance

Increasing intensive livestock farming system has contributed huge amount of animal waste in Malaysia livestock production. Production of livestock waste that are not handled appropriately has contributed negative effect to the environment. The abundant of livestock farming has been increasing the manure production thus contribute to soil and water pollution as well as excessive nutrient discharge that contaminate soil should be corrected. One of the way to utilize it is by converting it as a resource of nutrient for plant uptake. This can also be a step towards organic farming that encompasses the usage of organic fertilizer rather than inorganic in supplying the nutrients needed for plantation. A study was carried out to make comparison of different animal manure and determine the effect of un-process and processed animal manures on Pennisetum purpureum (Napier grass) growth performance. Seven types of treatments namely control treatment (T7, mineral fertilizer applied), unprocessed cattle manure (T1), processed cattle manure (T2), unprocessed goat manure (T3), processed goat manure (T4), unprocessed chicken manure (T5) and processed chicken manure (T6), and each treatment had five replicates. The parameter in terms of physical analysis (plant height (PH), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), number of leaves (LN), weight of leaves (LW), weight of stem (SW) and weight of plants (PW)) and chemical analysis (crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)) were done to determine the most effective fertilizers. Generally, physical analysis indicates that processed animal manure had better performance compared to the un-process animal manure particularly in T2, T4 and T6 (p> 0.05). However processed animal manure shows better results in nutrient composition. In particular case, T2 shows the best results in each physical analysis parameters, (PH, LL, LN, LW, SW and PL) while unprocessed chicken manure (T5) shows the least value in all of them. As for the nutrient value (CP, CF, N, P and K), processed chicken manure (T6) shows the best results in all of them. Among all the treatment results, processed cattle manure show the highest Napier growth performance. Chicken manure results indicates high good crude protein and low crude fibre content, however it is not recommended to use chicken manure as the Napier plant growth is not promising. In conclusion, processed animal manure should be practice as it could increase Napier quality, better moisture content of plantation medium and higher availability of nutrient content for the Napier plant. However, more cutting and better management practices must be done using organic fertilizer to get better results and implementation.

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