Heaps of animal manure in a citrus orchard (Jalia Namakula)
Use of animal manure is a recommended agronomic practice for soil fertility enhancement in agro-ecosystems. Animal manure application contributes to the build-up of soil organic matter and supplies most of the required nutrients, both of which ultimately improve soil health and productivity. Additionally, manure improves the soil’s water holding capacity, improves soil structure, resulting into improved water infiltration and reduced runoff.
Animal manure is applied on citrus trees at the Green Valley Enterprise farm located in Adjumani District found in Northern Uganda. The farm lies on a gentle slope in an area with predominantly sandy soils. This area experiences a bimodal rainfall pattern with an annual average of 1000 mm. The farm is strategically located close to River Adidi, which is used to provide water for irrigation during the dry months. The purpose of animal manure application on the citrus trees is to increase soil fertility and health, thus improving fruit quality and quantity. Since the soils on the farm are sandy, the land user needs to have a good soil fertility and water management plan in place.
At the beginning of every cropping season, 70 bags of animal manure from cows, each weighing about 100 kg are bought and applied on over 111 citrus trees planted on an acre of land. The citrus trees are a mixture of Washington navel and Hamlin, planted at a spacing of 6×6 m. Before application, the animal manure is collected, heaped and left to decompose under shade at the owner’s kraal for 4 months. At the farm, the manure is applied using the ring method, that is, 60 cm radius from the tree trunk and covered with grass mulch. Forty (40) kg of the manure is applied per tree per season. Application of the animal manure on one acre is estimated to cost UGX 540,000, while maintenance costs are estimated to be UGX 50,000 per season.
At this farm, animal manure application has increased citrus fruit yields up to seven folds. When covered with grass mulch it improves soil moisture retention, hence the farmer is able to have two major harvests annually. In addition, the trees on which manure is applied are more tolerant to dry spells. The main disadvantages of use of animal manure are intensive labour requirement for handling, and variability in manure quality depending on the source.
Местоположение: Elegu Central, Northern Uganda, Уганда
Число исследованных участков, где применяется Технология: отдельный участок
Пространственное распространение Технологии: примененяется точечно/ на небольших участках
На постоянно охраняемой территории?:
Продолжительность применения Технологии: 10-50 лет назад
Тип внедрения/ применения
| Опишите затраты | Единица | Количество | Затраты на единицу (Ug Shillings (UGX)) | Общая стоимость на единицу (Ug Shillings (UGX)) | % затрат, оплаченных землепользователями |
| Оплата труда | |||||
| Heaping manure | heaps | 20,0 | 2000,0 | 40000,0 | 100,0 |
| Transporting | heaps | 20,0 | 5000,0 | 100000,0 | 100,0 |
| Application | acre | 1,0 | 50000,0 | 50000,0 | 100,0 |
| Удобрения и ядохимикаты | |||||
| animal manure | bags | 70,0 | 5000,0 | 350000,0 | 100,0 |
| Общая стоимость запуска Технологии | 540'000.0 | ||||
| Общие затраты на создание Технологии в долларах США | 147.95 | ||||
| Опишите затраты | Единица | Количество | Затраты на единицу (Ug Shillings (UGX)) | Общая стоимость на единицу (Ug Shillings (UGX)) | % затрат, оплаченных землепользователями |
| Оплата труда | |||||
| collecting | heap | 10,0 | 5000,0 | 50000,0 | 100,0 |
| 1,0 | |||||
| Общая стоимость поддержания Технологии | 50'000.0 | ||||
| Общие затраты на поддержание Технологии в долларах США | 13.7 | ||||
Количество до применения УЗП : 75 oranges per tree
Количество после применения УЗП: 200 oranges per tree
with application of animal manure fruit sizes have increased
farm income has increased though no records are given
The oranges are consumed by the family therefore providing nutritional benefits to family.
Using manure has increased soil organic matter, which in turn increases fertility and soil moisture retention,
Because it increases soil fertility and soil moisture retention animal manure helps the citrus trees to tolerate dry spells.
