1. 5.2 A comparison of three types of spent broiler litter as organic manure on growth and
yield of Raddish
5.2.1 Abstract
Spent poultry litter is a main organic fertilizer used for many field crops. Even though the
suitability of refused tea (RT) as an alternative litter material to paddy husk (PH); the most
commonly used litter material has been established, little is known about the organic fertilizer
value of RT based spent poultry litter. The objectives of this study was to compare the organic
fertilizer values of spent litter based on PH, RT and a 1:1 mixture of PH and RT. Broilers were
reared on either on PH, RT or PH: RT (1:1) litters from day 10-42. All three types of spent
broiler litters were heaped for three weeks after collecting from poultry house before applying to
the crop. Reddish (Raphanus sativus L.) was used as the test crop in a (CRBD) completely
randomized block design experiment with 4 replicates, three litters were applied to each
treatment unit at a rate 5 tones/ha (dry matter). The control treatment received recommended
inorganic fertilizer levels from the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka. Root and shoot
yields were determined at the end of the growing season on day 45 and soil samples were
analyzed for bulk density at 3 different times. None of the yield parameters such as fresh shoot
yield, fresh root yield, shoot: root ratio and total biomass production of the Reddish which
received spent broiler litters as an organic fertilizer was not significantly different (P>0.05) from
the control treatment. The type of litter had no significant effects on yield parameters. Bulk
density of soil was significantly lower in soil incorporated with either PH or RT based litter
compare to the control. It was concluded that spent broiler litters based on PH and RT could be
used as an organic fertilizer for Reddish and improve the soil physical properties.
5.2.2. Introduction
Soil organic matter management has numerous positive impacts on the biological, chemical and
physical soil properties, and ultimately the yield of the crop. The application of organic
amendments significantly increased the organic carbon, carbohydrates and aggregate stability
percentage, resulting in a decrease of the bulk density of soils (Gracia et al., 2005 and Gopinath
et al., 2008).
Spent poultry litter is a popular organic soil amendment used for many field crops. The most
widely used poultry litter material in Sri Lanka is paddy husk. However, spent litter based on

2. PH contains high amount of silica thus decomposes slowly. Recently have show that refused tea,
a by-product of tea processing industry could be used as an alternative litter material for broiler
production (Atapattu and Wickramasinghe 2007). It has also been shown that volatilization of
ammonia from RT litter is low (Atapattu and Wickramasinge, 2007, Belpagodagamage et al.,
2008). Due to low ammonia volatilization and higher initial N content of RT compared PH, RT
based litter contains more N than PH based litter. Therefore, it can be reasonably assumed that
RT based spent litter would be a good organic fertilizer. However, no attempt has been done to
evaluate the organic fertilizer value of spent broiler litter based on RT. The objective of this
study was to compare the organic fertilizer value of spent broiler litters based on PH and RT.
5.2.3. Materials and methods
Day old broiler chicks were brooded in an electrically heated floor brooder until day 9. Chicks
were fed a commercial broiler starter diet. From day 10-42, chicks were divided into three
groups and raised on one of the three types of litter materials, namely paddy husk, refused tea,
and a mixture (v/v) of paddy husk and refused tea (1:1). Refused tea was collected from a local
tea factory. Birds were fed a commercial broiler starter diet until day 20 and a finisher diet
thereafter. Standard broiler and litter management practices were adopted. Birds were
withdrawn from the cage on day 42 and litters were heaped for three weeks.

3. A field experiment was conducted at the premises of Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya. Radish (Raphanus sativus L) was used as the test crop. The
soil of the experimental site that used in this study belongs to Red Yellow Podzolic great soil
group and is classified as Hapludults according to the USDA soil taxonomy.
The experiment followed a RCDB (1 m x 1 m) per each treatment. Treatments were three types
of spent litters (PH, RT or PH: RT mixture) applied to the soil at a rate of 5MT/ha (DM) and
standard inorganic fertilizer recommendation by the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka
(90kg/ha urea, 34 kg TSP and 110kg/ha and MOP 65kg/ha at planting and same amount of urea
and MOP 3weeks after planting as a top dress). Raddish growing under standard radish
management practices were adopted and the crop was harvested after 45 days. Weights of the
shoot and root were recorded plot-wise. Prior to harvesting, soil samples were taken from
surface after removing of the surface debris materials to determine the bulk density
Data were analyzed as a completely randomized block design, using The GLM procedure of
SAS (1989).
5.2.4 Results and Discussion
A comparison of the shoot, root and total biomass production of the radish grown on soil
amended with three types of spent litter materials and inorganic fertilizer recommendation is
given in the table 2.
Table 2. Yield of Radish as affected by the application of three types of spent litters and
inorganic fertilizer (Yield fresh weight (kg/plot))
Type of litter or fertilizer
Parameters RT PH PH: RT Inorganic ANOVA
Shoot 1.4 1.23 1.35 1.27 NS
Root 0.78 0.65 0.75 0.67 NS
Shoot: root 1.79 1.89 1.80 1.89 NS
Total biomass 2.18 1.89 2.10 1.94 NS
NS- Not significant (P <0.05)
Weights of the shoot, root and the total biomass production were not affected by the type of
fertilizer used. Yield parameters of radish grown with all three types of litter materials were not

4. statistically (P<0.05) inferior compared to the control treatment which received standard
inorganic fertilizer recommendation. Also, the type of litter material had no significant effect on
yield parameters. These findings lead to two important conclusions. Radish grown only with
spent broiler litter as an organic fertilizer, could give a comparable yield to that grown with
inorganic fertilizers. Also, these findings suggest that RT based spent broiler litter has similar
organic fertilizer value to that of conventionally used PH litter.
The N contents of PH and RT based spent litter at the end of the growing cycle was found to be
3.7 % and 6.7 %, respectively (Atapattu et al., 2008). Also poultry litter is particularly high in
phosphorus and a range of other micro minerals (Guo and Song.2009). Even though
volatilization depleted N to a certain extent, spent litter seems to have served as a good source of
plant nutrients required for Raddish.
The other advantage of the use of spent litters as an organic fertilizer is that both PH and RT
based spent litters improves the soil physical properties by reducing the soil bulk density (Fig 7).
When bulk density increases, soil can reduce the infiltration of water into the soil profile and
increase runoff. This increased surface runoff can carry nutrients such as nitrogen to water
bodies and can impair water quality (Gregory et al., 2006).The soil of this experiment field had

5. a high bulk density before land preparation and it was reached 1.5 g/cm3. This high bulk density
effect to the roots penetrations, which limit their access to water and nutrients present in sub-soil
and inhibits their growth. Compacted soil requires more frequent applications of irrigation and
fertilizer to sustain plant growth, which can increase runoff and nutrient losses.
Figure 7. The bulk density of the Radish grown soil as affected by the application of three types
of spent litters and inorganic fertilizer
5.2.5. Conclusion
RT based spent broiler litter can be used as an organic fertilizer for radish. Radish grown without
inorganic fertilizer can give comparable yield, if the spent broiler litter is used as an organic
fertilizer.
0.1
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Inoganic PH RT PH:RT
Bulkdensity(g/cm3)
Before land
preperation
3Days after
application
23 Days after
application
45 Days after
application