Poultry manure boosts crop yields and profits in Nigerian farming study

A new study from Adekunle Ajasin University in Nigeria has revealed that poultry manure can dramatically improve soil quality, crop yields, and farmer profits when applied to degraded agricultural land. The research, conducted over two growing seasons, demonstrated that applying poultry manure to maize crops increased grain yields by up to 94.6% compared to untreated soil. The study also found significant improvements in soil structure, nutrient content, and the nutritional value of the harvested maize.

“Soil degradation and poor soil fertility management are major factors underlying poor agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa,” explained lead researcher Dr. Taiwo Michael Agbede. “Our findings show that organic amendments like poultry manure can be a sustainable solution.” While various application rates were tested (5, 10, 15, and 20 tonnes per hectare), the optimal amount was identified as 10 tonnes per hectare, which delivered the highest economic returns with a value-to-cost ratio of 16. This means farmers can expect $16 in returns for every dollar invested in poultry manure at this application rate.

The study comes at a critical time, as excessive chemical fertilizer use has been linked to soil degradation, nutrient imbalances, and environmental contamination across African farming regions. Poultry manure offers a readily available, organic alternative that improves both short-term yields and long-term soil health. Beyond yield improvements, the research found that maize grown with poultry manure contained significantly higher levels of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc – addressing both food security and nutritional quality concerns.

This research provides a practical pathway to more sustainable and profitable farming practices using locally available resources for smallholder farmers struggling with deteriorating soil conditions.