Use of Processed Waste Feathers as Source of Organic Nutrients for Maize Production

Management of waste feathers in Nigeria is of great concern due to large quantities generated daily. Over 30,000 birds slaughtered daily by two poultry industries in Ibadan Southwest generate 4980 kg of feathers ending up in dumpsites polluting the environment. Feathers contain 91% fibrous protein, which can be processed and released as soil nutrients to increase food production. Eighty grams of waste chicken feathers were processed into mulch by washing, sun-drying, and grinding into bits, then pasted with 27 g of glycerol and air-dried. Farmland was cleared and made into sixty-four 30 cm-diameter heaps arranged into two groups, A and B, with four replications each having eight heaps. Maize was planted in every heap while feather mulch was applied to group B. Group A (control) had no mulch applied. Watering was done ad libitum. Lengths of leaves and stem were measured at 4-day intervals using flexible tape. Maize cobs were weighed after harvesting (65 days), and the mean for each group was obtained. Data were analyzed using ANOVA. Results showed that maize in group B had 196.47±4.61 cm and 105.82±2.44 cm as mean lengths of leaves and stem respectively, as against 165.43±1.57 cm and 78.43±2.56 cm respectively for the control. These represented 18.76% and 34.92% significant increases (p<0.05) in mean lengths of leaves and stem respectively over the control. Yield of maize showed a 22% significant increase (p<0.05) in mean cob weight at 0.275±0.03 kg over control at 0.225±0.03 kg. Application of feather mulch caused a significant increase in growth and production of maize by releasing additional nutrients into the soil. It is therefore recommended that processed waste feathers be used as an alternative source of organic nutrients for maize production as a means of sustainable waste management.