Effect of Solid Fermentation on Physicochemical and Microbial Compositions of Poultry Droppings for Biofertilizer

Aim: The study was carried out with the aim of determining what would be the effect of solid fermentation on the microbial loads and physicochemical compositions of poultry droppings in preparation of biofertilizer.

Place and Period: The study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology Akure Ondo State in 2014.

Methodology: Solid fermentation was carried out on the poultry dung. Before the commencement of fermentation physicochemical and initial microbial load concentrations were determined. The microbial load of the poultry was evaluated for six days via plate count method. To isolate and identify the organisms associated with the dung, pour plate method was used. The following media were used for the isolation of microorganisms in poultry dung: Nutrient agar (NA); MaConkey agar (MCA); Mann Rogosa Shape (MRS0; Mannitol Salt agar (MSA), SIM agar, Moller Heaton agar (MHA), and Potato Dextrose agar (PDA). Identification of isolated bacteria was done tentatively based on microscopy, cultural and biochemical characteristics and according to the information of Bergey’s Manual of Bacteriological Identification.

Results: Eleven genera of bacteria and three species of fungi were isolated and identified in this study. Isolated bacteria are; Enterococcus feacalis, Corynebacterium xerosis, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter freundii, Micrococcus reseus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus captis and Streptococcus pyogen and fungi are Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus respectively. Numerical values of physicochemical parameters before fermentation were on the lower values compared with the value during fermentation. Moisture content (29.52±0.06/75.45±0.08), Ash content (%) (3.43±0.42/9.93±013), PH (6.39/6.50), Crude protein (7.70±021/9.02±0.00), Total volatile Nitrogen (58.80/92.40). In the case of bacterial load, 1.79 x 104CFU/g was before the commencement of fermentation while the lowest load during fermentation was on fifth day with 5.1x102±0.00 CFU/g. However for the fungi load, the highest load recorded was 1.0x105 CFU/gg, on second day followed by 4.0x104 CFU/g, on third day of fermentation but on the fifth day fungi disappeared and reached zero.

Conclusion: the fermentation of poultry droppings increases the values of chemical constituents and decreases the microbial loads with time. Hence there is possibility of reducing the loads of pathogenic microorganisms in organic manure.