Faecal Blending for Nutrient Enrichment and Speedy Sanitisation for Soil Fertility Improvement

Abstract EN

Human faeces have been used for soil fertility improvement over time, but limited information is available on the value of this resource in Africa.

The fear of the pathogenicity of the material hinders the realisation of its potential value in agriculture.

A study was conducted at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute, Kabanyolo in Uganda, to investigate the sanitising potential and nutrient enrichment capabilities of animal wastes on human faeces from Ecological Sanitation (EcoSan) toilets.

Treatments included EcoSan human faeces (EHF) blended with either poultry manure (PM) or cattle manure (CM) mixed in the ratios of 1 : 1 (dry weight basis), before the mixtures were composted.

The layout consisted of fifteen wooden composting boxes of 1 m−3 dimensions, laid above ground.

Each box was lined with 1.5 m3 1000 um polythene.

Poultry manure and its blend with EHF enhanced high temperature and concentrations of plant nutrients.

Human faeces alone had meagre nutrients concentrations, but high K+.

The high K+ was possibly due to inclusion of kitchen ash in the EcoSan toilets.

Among the blended treatments, EHF + PM and EHF + CM achieved 100 and 75% sanitisation of E.

coli and Enterococcus species, respectively.