Evaluation of Fertilizer Value of Organic Waste Materials in South Western Nigeria

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Abstract
Twenty-one organic waste materials were collected from different locations in five states located in south western Nigeria. The organic wastes were evaluated for their fertilizer value. The chemical analysis of the organic waste materials showed that the nutrient contents of the waste materials varied greatly with source. No organic waste material consistently had high values of all macro and micro elements examined. Brewery waste had the highest percentage nitrogen while sugarcane trash had the lowest. Addition of organic waste materials to the soil drastically influenced the NO3-N content of the soil. Nitrate nitrogen released from treatments containing poultry droppings, brewery waste, sewage sludge, cowpea husk and sorted town refuse increased linearly, reaching a peak and declining with time. On the other hand NO3-N released from waste materials with low N content like sugarcane trash, sawdust and rice straw decreased sharply in the first six to eight months of incubation. The NH4-N released in all treatments was initially high but drastically declined as decomposition progressed. The total available N, organic C, and C:N ratio in all treatments decreased with time.