EFFECT OF ANIMAL MANURE GENERATED EFFLUENTS AS ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON PROXIMATE AND FIBRE COMPOSITIONS OF Megathyrsus maximus

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the impact of organic manure effluent on the proximate and fibre composition of Megathyrsus maximus. It was conducted at the Pasture and Range Management Unit of the Directorate of University Farms (DUFARMS) and chemical analyzed was carried out at the Laboratory of the Department of Pasture and Range Management, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Nigeria. The experiment covered an area of 178.25 m² with three organic manure treatments (swine, poultry, and cattle dung) alongside NPK and control across five plots each measuring 2.5 by 3m and replicated three times. Soil samples were collected to assess chemical properties, and fresh manure was anaerobically digested for four weeks before application at a rate of 150 kg/ha, two weeks after planting. Results showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) across treatments, while neutral detergent fiber (NDF) values differed significantly (P < 0.05). The control and Cured Cattle Manure Effluent (CCME) treatments yielded the lowest value (46.46%) and the NPK treatment having the highest value (50.01%). ADF values differed significantly (p<0.05) with NPK having the highest value (11.07%) and CCME having the lowest value (9.29%). CCME has the highest value of crude protein (9.56%), Ash (11.8%) and Ether Extract (21.79%) The study concluded that manure effluents positively impacted the proximate and fiber, composition of Megathyrsus maximus.