Overuse of farmlands for crop production and rising cost of chemical Overuse of farmlands for crop production and rising cost of chemical fertilizers have grossly affected crop yield, production and food availability, and the search for alternative use of locally available aquaculture - waste for fertilizer and soil improvement can improve crop yield and food availability for the teaming population of Nigeria and other sub - Saharan African countries. This research determined the pH, Organic Matter, nitrate and phosphate qualities of 10 fishpond sediments for use as agricultural fertilizer supplement and soil conditioner in Owerri, Nigeria. Samples were subjected to standard physicochemical analysis. The pH ranged from 8.1 - 7.3, organic matter from 46.6 - 61.3 g/kg, nitrate from 2.6 - 3.2 g/kg and phosphate from 0.05 - 0.1 g/kg. The higher the organic matter in the sediment samples, the higher the recorded pH, nitrate and phosphate from the different ponds sediments. Organic material, nitrate, phosphate and pH variation in the sediments might be due to nutrients added to pond water from fertilizer, unconsumed feed, fish feaces and metabolites. The nitrate and phosphate are major plant nutrients; organic matter can be used as soil conditioner. The pH can determine the soil chemistry and availability of the nutrients. The fish pond sediment can help to improve soil texture and soil fertility, which may influence soil aeration, water, and nutrient - holding capacity and root penetration by crops and increased crops growth and yield. It can serve as alternative uses for fertilizer, soil conditioner, and its application as a waste management approach in aquaculture for environmental sustainability.

1. Assessment of aquaculture sediment for agricultural fertilizer supplement
and soil conditioner in Owerri Urban, Nigeria
Keywords:
Fishpond sediment, fertilizer supplement, soil conditioner, soil fertility, crop
yield.
List of abbreviations:
MDGs = Millennium Development Goals; OM = Organic Matter;
A = Initial Sample Weight ; B = Reweighed Sample Weight.
ABSTRACT:
Overuse of farmlands for crop production and rising cost of chemical
Overuse of farmlands for crop production and rising cost of chemical fertilizers have
grossly affected crop yield, production and food availability, and the search for
alternative use of locally available aquaculture-waste for fertilizer and soil
improvement can improve crop yield and food availability for the teaming population
of Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries. This research determined the pH,
Organic Matter, nitrate and phosphate qualities of 10 fishpond sediments for use as
agricultural fertilizer supplement and soil conditioner in Owerri, Nigeria. Samples
were subjected to standard physicochemical analysis. The pH ranged from 8.1-7.3,
organic matter from 46.6-61.3 g/kg, nitrate from 2.6-3.2 g/kg and phosphate from
0.05-0.1 g/kg. The higher the organic matter in the sediment samples, the higher the
recorded pH, nitrate and phosphate from the different ponds sediments. Organic
material, nitrate, phosphate and pH variation in the sediments might be due to
nutrients added to pond water from fertilizer, unconsumed feed, fish feaces and
metabolites. The nitrate and phosphate are major plant nutrients; organic matter can
be used as soil conditioner. The pH can determine the soil chemistry and availability
of the nutrients. The fish pond sediment can help to improve soil texture and soil
fertility, which may influence soil aeration, water, and nutrient-holding capacity and
root penetration by crops and increased crops growth and yield. It can serve as
alternative uses for fertilizer, soil conditioner, and its application as a waste
management approach in aquaculture for environmental sustainability.
034 -038 | JRA | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 1
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www.jagri.info
Journal of Research in
Agriculture
An International Scientific
Research Journal
Authors:
Ihejirika CE1
,
Onwudike SU2
,
Nwaogu LA3
,
Emereibeole EI1
, Ebe TE1
and Ejiogu CC1
.
Institution:
1. Department of
Environmental Technology,
Federal University of
Technology, Owerri,
Nigeria.
2. Department of Soil
Science and Technology,
Federal University of
Technology, Owerri,
Nigeria.
3. Department of
Biochemistry, Federal
University of Technology,
Owerri, Nigeria.
Corresponding author:
Ihejirika CE.
Email:
ceihejirika@yahoo.com.
Web Address:
http://www.jagri.info
documents/AG0009.pdf.
Dates:
Received: 21 Nov 2011 Accepted: 23 Nov 2011 Published: 01 Feb 2012
Article Citation:
Ihejirika CE, Onwudike SU, Nwaogu LA, Emereibeole EI, Ebe TE and Ejiogu CC.
Assessment of aquaculture sediment for agricultural fertilizer supplement and soil
conditioner in Owerri Urban, Nigeria.
Journal of Research in Agriculture (2012) 1: 034-038
Original Research
Journal of Research in Agriculture
JournalofResearchinAgriculture An International Scientific Research Journal

2. INTRODUCTION
Inappropriate land management has resulted
in the deterioration of soil quality in many
agricultural areas of the world (Mullins et al.,
1990), sub-Saharan Africa not left out. This has
further resulted in deterioration of soil health in
terms of both physical and chemical conditions.
Benjamin et al. (2003) reported that soil physical
condition could substantially influence crop
production.
Agriculture has been widely developed in
recent years for food security and income
generation (Lin and Yi, 2003). Successful
management of tropical fish ponds for biological
optimal fish growth requires supply of necessary
pond inputs including nutrients in a balanced
manner through fertilizer application and
supplementary feed addition (Li and Yakupitiyage,
2003). A large amount of green manure and animal
manures are also applied to fish ponds, thus leading
to organic matter (OM) accumulating in pond
bottoms over the years. Formulated complete feed
is applied in intensive fish culture systems, which
eventually generates a large amount of organic
wastes (Mizanur et al., 2004). Thus regular feeding
and fertilization in fish ponds result to accumulation
of organic matter (OM), nitrogen and phosphorus in
sediments. With nutrient budgeting, Olah et al.
(1994) reported that 30-95% of the nitrogen applied
to fish ponds accumulated in the sediment.
Similarly, Boyd (1995) showed that a higher
fraction of phosphate compounds applied to ponds
also ended up in the sediments.
Poor soil physical conditions can restrict
water intake into the soil, its retention and
subsequent movement from soil aeration and
associated biological activities. There are many
organic and inorganic amendments that are claimed
to improve soil physical conditions, but pond
sediment has not received much attention as a
conditioner. The pond sediment contains higher
amounts of organic matter (OM), that is, 4.98-
6.20% in semi-intensive tilapia pond stocks at 1.1
fish m-2
(Avnimelech et al., 1999) while 10.34% in
channel catfish ponds in the United States (Boyd,
1995). The high content of organic matter (OM) can
play a major role in soil aggregate formation
(Nemati et al., 2000), thus improving soil physical
and chemical conditions, thus facilitating crop
production.
This demands the development of
appropriate management strategies of pond
sediment disposal for agricultural fertilizer. Use of
fish pond sediments as fertilizer supplements and
soil conditioners would be the best management
option. And due to the declining soil fertility and
over cultivation of farm lands in Imo State, Nigeria,
the high demand for and cost of chemical fertilizers
has increased and the need to manage waste
generation from aquaculture farms, is inevitable and
this research was therefore targeted at determining
the Organic Matter (OM), nitrate and phosphate
content of fish pond sediment as a possible resource
for fertilizer supplementation and soil conditioner
to help improving crop production and provide food
for all as part of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) by the year 2020.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area:
Owerri urban comprises of three Local
Government Areas that serve as the capital of Imo
State, Nigeria. Due to the ban on importation of
frozen fish and livestock, and the high cost of beef,
individuals, non-governmental organizations, and
government agencies have been encouraged in the
establishment of viable aquaculture practices to
help maintaining the protein demand of the
citizenry.
Sample collection:
Sediment samples were collected from the
bottom of the fish ponds with the aid of clean
plastic containers from 10 fish ponds (ponds I, iii,
iv, vii and ix were from fingerlings while ponds ii,
v, vi, viii, and x were from catfish) in Owerri urban
immediately after removal of pond water prior to
fish harvesting. The samples were immediately
transported to laboratory for the determination of
Organic Matter.
Determination of Organic Matter:
The modified method of Schollenberger
(1945) was adopted for this analysis. Samples were
prepared for analysis by drying in an oven for a
minimum of 72 hours at 50°C. A representative
portion of the dry sediment of each pond was
transferred into a pre-weighed crucible and sample
weight (A) kilogram (kg) was determined using an
analytical balance. Samples were transferred into a
Thermolyne 1400 muffle furnace and burned at
550°C for 2 hours to remove organic matter. After
cooling in a desiccator, samples were reweighed (B)
in kilograms. The organic matter weight was
determined as follows: OM = A – B kg
Determination of Nitrates and Phosphates (mg/g/
l of sediment):
The phosphate and nitrate content of the
035 Journal of Research in Agriculture (2012) 1: 034-038
Ihejirika et al.,2012

3. sediment samples were determined as described in
the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water
and Wastewater (APHA/AWWA/WPCF, 1985).
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Result:
The values of the determination of the pH,
organic matter, nitrate and phosphate of the
sediment samples were as shown in Table 1. That
all the sediment samples of the fish ponds had
organic matter, nitrate and phosphate as
components, it was better elucidated in Figure 1.
The pH ranged from 8.1-7.3, organic matter from
46.6-61.3 g/kg, nitrate from 2.6-3.2 g/kg and
phosphate from 0.05-0.1 g/kg. Sediments from
catfish ponds ii, v, vi, viii, and x were higher in
organic matter when compared with fingerlings
ponds i, iii, iv, vii and ix with lower organic matter
content. The same trend was recorded for nitrate
and phosphate from the different ponds sediments.
DISCUSSION:
Organic material in the sediments might
have been as a result of nutrients added to pond
water from fertilizer, unconsumed feed, fish feaces
and metabolites (Mizanur et al., 2004). According
to Boyd (1995), major sources of nitrate and
phosphate in fish ponds are fertilizers and feed.
Addition of manure and feed provides organic
nitrate and phosphate, while inorganic form comes
from chemical fertilizers. The portion of the feed in
the sediment might be from the remains, after the
fishes had consumed the feed. In support of this
argument, Tucker (1998) reported that only less
than 30% of the feed or fertilizer nitrate and
phosphate added to ponds is recovered in the
harvest of fish, and the remainder is lost to the pond
effluent and sediment.
The pH, organic matter , nitrate, and
phosphate ranges recorded were in accordance with
the reports of previous studies (Avnimelech et al.,
1999; Rahman et al., 2002; Wahab et al., 1984).
The pond sediments were rich in nitrate and
phosphate which are major plant nutrients.
Application of pond sediment, where applicable,
may increase nutrient levels in soils. According to
Mizanur et al. (2004), the inorganic forms of
nutrients in pond sediments may be immediately
available to plants while the organic forms of
nutrients in sediments take time to make available
them to plants through microbial breakdown.
Increased pH of sediments rich in nutrients
may tend to cause the release of increased portion
of the nutrients to water in soils. This was
supported by Boyd (1995) in a report that sediments
rich in phosphate tend to release a higher fraction of
phosphate to water, and this increases with
increasing pH of pond sediments. According to
Boyd (1995), during microbial decomposition of
pond sediments in soil, organic acids are released,
which may help to dissolve soil mineral phosphate.
The high pH value of the sediments might help to
raise the pH of pond soils and other acidic soils.
Organic matter (OM) in the pond sediments
if utilized as a soil conditioner can help improving
soil infiltration, water content and soil texture. It is
of utmost importance to the water management
ability of plants, recharge of aquifers, regulation of
surface runoff and soil erosion. Soil physical,
chemical and biological characteristics and
processes can be affected directly or indirectly by
soil water. Organic matter in fish pond sediments
Journal of Research in Agriculture (2012) 1: 034-038 036
Ihejirika et al.,2012
pH Organic Matter (g/Kg) Nitrate (g/Kg)
Phosphate (g/Kg)
Pond i 7.3 48.2 2.7 0.06
Pond ii 8.1 58.1 3.2 0.09
Pond iii 7.3 48.4 2.7 0.05
Pond iv 7.4 49.2 2.7 0.06
Pond v 7.6 51.3 2.8 0.07
Pond vi 8.0 57.5 3.1 0.10
Pond vii 7.5 50.1 2.8 0.08
Pond viii 7.8 52.7 2.98 0.08
Pond ix 7.2 46.6 2.6 0.05
Pond x 8.2 61.3 3.1 0.10
Table 1: Physicochemical parameters of fish pond
sediments
Figure 1: The OM, P, and N composition of
individual pond sediments
Fish ponds = 1-10, OM = Organic Matter,
N = Nitrate and P = Phosphate

4. can be affected directly or indirectly by soil water.
Organic matter in fish pond sediments can help the
soil hold water and decrease soil surface crusting,
which may enable soil water infiltration (Olness et
al., 1998). According to Rahman et al. (2002), in
the presence of water, sediment appeared to be
resembled to clay fraction, which in turn increases
the field capacity.
Fish pond sediment organic matter can
improve soil texture which may influence soil
aeration, water and nutrient-holding capacity and
root penetration by plants (Ben-Hur, 2001). This
was supported by the works of Martens and
Frankenberger (1992) which reported that
application of pond sediment enriched with organic
matter can improve heavy soils by forming soil
aggregation and aeration porosity that eventually
increases soil infiltration and other beneficial
characteristics, while reducing surface runoff and
its associated nutrient losses. Further support by the
report of El-Sheifei et al. (1994) stated that in sandy
soils, where agricultural productivity is limited due
to water holding capacity, high infiltration rates,
deep percolation and low cation exchange capacity;
soil conditioners are effective in adjusting such
characteristics. In such circumstance, addition of
fishpond sediment will be effective in reducing the
infiltration rate by improving the soil structure,
micropores, and decreasing macropores, which
eventually increase water holding capacity.
CONCLUSION
This research has characterized fish pond
sediments that were probably disposed as waste in
Owerri, Nigeria as suitable alternative for use in
enhancing soil characteristics for food production.
It also serves as an approach “waste to wealth” and
fight against poverty if properly applied to suitable
soils.
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