Assessing the Efficacy of a Recycled Abattoir Wastes Fertilizer (Thallotm) as an Alternative Phosphorus (P) Source on Soil Fertility, Crop Yield and N-Fixation in Low Nutrient Tropical Soils in Two Agro Ecological Zones of Ghana

Abstract

Inorganic fertilizer application has successfully improved crop yields in Ghana, but they are often expensive and not readily available to smallholder farmers and has been reported to induce soil acidity, greenhouse gases emission and eutrophicaton. This study examined the effect of Thallo (a novel multi-element fertilizer produced from abattoir wastes by Elemental Digest, UK.) on soil pH, OC, total N, available P and exchangeable K contents, crop N, P, and K uptakes and use efficiencies, as well as the growth, yield, and nutritional quality of maize, cabbage, cowpea, and sweet potato across Semi Deciduous forest and Coastal Savannah agro ecological zones of Ghana. The study comprised three treatments namely recycled abattoir waste fertilizer (Thallo), conventional NPK and control with four replications laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The result showed that Thallo improved significantly (P<0.05) soil pH, organic matter content, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium in both experimental sites compared with the NPK treated soil. Also, relative to the conventional NPK treatments, Thallo increased maize grain yield by 13.5% (Jukwa) and 18% (UCC), cabbage head yield by 13% (Jukwa) and 23% (UCC) for the two zones respectively, cowpea seed yield (109%) and sweet potato tuber yield (72%) at coastal savannah. Thallo increased crop N, P and K uptakes and their use efficiencies by all the crops in both agroecological zones. In conclusion, the application of Thallo improved soil fertility, increased crop yield, crop N, P and K uptake and use efficiency by all crops under field conditions. Coastal Savannah zone recorded higher yields than the Semi Deciduous forest.