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Factors influencing the utilization of cattle and chicken manure for soil fertility management by emergent farmers in the moist Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

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Abstract

The study established the factors that influence the use of cattle andchicken manure for managing soil fertility by surveying a random sample of 224farm households in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Themajority (87%) of the respondents are farming on communal land with an averagefarm size of 2.9 ha. Sixty-three% of the farmers in the sampleusedmanure to manage soil fertility in their fields. Despite the fact that chickenmanure was available in large quanties in the area, 54% of manure usedwas from cattle while chicken manure was used by 39% of the sample.Manure was readily available to 73% of the respondent farmers and it wasobtained mostly from commercial and semi-commercial livestock production unitswithin the area. Most of the manure was applied on land planted to high valuecrops such as maize, potatoes and vegetables. The common method of applyingmanure was by a spreader. The major factors that positively influencedthe farmers' decision to use manure were availability of manure, herd size,farmers' experience in farming and the availability of extension services.Both land ownership and attendance of training did not seem to affect thefarmers' decision to use manure. Farm size was the factor that was foundtonegatively affect manure utilization. Other important considerations includedlabor and transport requirements for handling manure, lack of technicalinformation on the fertilizer value and management of manure, increased growthof weeds and bad smell. Some suggestions are made on strategies that couldimprove the efficiency of utilization of manure for soil fertility managementinthis agroecosystem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Fertility & Analytical Services, Pietermaritzburg, 3200, South Africa

    T.S. Mkhabela

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Science & Technology, University of North-West, Mmabatho, 2735, South Africa

    S.A. Materechera

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  1. T.S. Mkhabela
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  2. S.A. Materechera
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Mkhabela, T., Materechera, S. Factors influencing the utilization of cattle and chicken manure for soil fertility management by emergent farmers in the moist Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 65, 151–162 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022156210667

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