Smallholder farming is promoted for its environmental friendliness, assurance of food security sovereignty and conservation of indigenous knowledge. However, in actual practice, Smallholder farmers recycle farm plant waste to improve soil fertility. By so doing, they contribute to environmental pollution, emissions, and global warming. This situation is a Smallholder farmers’ challenge worldwide. One of these challenges is the inability to find cheaper sources of plant nutrients. These sources of nutrients are associated with environmental pollution, such as the release of Methane. This study focused on farm wastes (bean trash, maize trash, banana trash, cattle slurry, goat slurry, and pig slurry) commonly produced by smallholder farmers in two farming systems of Masaka and Lyantonde Districts to explore the effects of composting and surface decomposition on nutrients contained in farm wastes by specifically: estimating baseline nutrient contents in farm wastes before disposal, determining the variation of nutrients of farm wastes managed by composting and surface decomposition and the potential source of major nutrients among selected farm wastes. Through carbon analysis, Calorimetric determination of Nitrogen and Phosphorus analysis using a block digester and UV-Visible spectrometer, Carbon, Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus were determined from bean trash, maize trash, banana trash, cattle slurry, goat slurry, and pig slurry. Results revealed that goat slurry, chicken waste, maize trash and pig slurry contained more and retained more P, K, C and N, respectively, as compared to other farm wastes. Significant volumes of N and P were retained in composted materials as compared to those managed by surface decomposition.
References
[1]
Hazell, P. (2014) Topic Guide: Agricultural Productivity. Evidence on Demand, UK. https://doi.org/10.12774/eod_tg.may2014.hazell
[2]
Paul, S., Onduru, D., Wouters, B., Gachimbi, L., Zake, J., Ebanyat, P., et al. (2009) Cattle Manure Management in East Africa: Review of Manure Quality and Nutrient Losses and Scenarios for Cattle and Manure Management. Wageningen UR Livestock Research, Lelystad, 39 p.
[3]
Okuniewski, M. and Great Britain Environment Agency (2001) Towards Sustainable Agricultural Waste Management. Environment Agency, Bristol.
[4]
Nsimbe, P., Mendoza, H., Wafula, S.T. and Ndejjo, R. (2018) Factors Associated with Composting of Solid Waste at Household Level in Masaka Municipality, Central Uganda. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018, Article ID: 1284234. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1284234
[5]
Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K.B., et al., Eds. (2007) AR4 Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis: Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York.
[6]
Fernando, K.M.C. and Arunakumara, K.K.I.U. (2021) Sustainable Organic Waste Management and Nutrients Replenishment in the Soil by Vermicompost: A Review. AGRIEAST: Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 15, 32-51. https://doi.org/10.4038/agrieast.v15i2.105
[7]
Gayatri, S., Gasso-tortajada, V. and Vaarst, M. (2016) Assessing Sustainability of Smallholder Beef Cattle Farming in Indonesia: A Case Study Using the FAO SAFA Framework. Journal of Sustainable Development, 9, 236-247. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v9n3p236
[8]
Tittonell, P., van Wijk, M.T., Herrero, M., Rufino, M.C., de Ridder, N. and Giller, K.E. (2009) Beyond Resource Constraints—Exploring the Biophysical Feasibility of Options for the Intensification of Smallholder Crop-Livestock Systems in Vihiga District, Kenya. Agricultural Systems, 101, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2009.02.003
[9]
Gerald, K. and Charles, S. (2021) Waste Management Systems among Smallholder Farmers in Masaka and Lyantonde Districts, Central Uganda. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 10, 314-326. https://doi.org/10.4236/jacen.2021.103020
[10]
Omona, J. (2013) Sampling in Qualitative Research: Improving the Quality of Research Outcomes in Higher Education. Makerere Journal of Higher Education, 4, 169-185.
[11]
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2016) Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
[12]
Obi, F., Ugwuishiwu, B. and Nwakaire, J. (2016) Agricultural Waste Concept, Generation, Utilization and Management. Nigerian Journal of Technology, 35, 957. https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v35i4.34
[13]
Tankou, C.M., de Snoo, G.R., Persoon, G. and de Iongh, H.H. (2017) Evaluation of Smallholder Farming Systems in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. IOSR Journal of Engineering, 7, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.9790/30210701010111
[14]
Kyebogola, S., et al. (2020) Comparing Uganda’s Indigenous Soil Classification System with World Reference Base and USDA Soil Taxonomy to Predict Soil Productivity. Geoderma Regional, 22, Article No. e00296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geodrs.2020.e00296
[15]
Bekunda, M., Ebanyat, P., Nkonya, E., Mugendi, D. and Msaky, J. (2005) Soil fertility Status, Management, and Research in East Africa. Eastern Africa Journal of Rural Development, 20, 94-112. https://doi.org/10.4314/eajrd.v20i1.28362
[16]
Mukasa, A.N. (2018) Technology Adoption and Risk Exposure among Smallholder Farmers: Panel Data Evidence from Tanzania and Uganda. World Development, 105, 299-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.12.006
[17]
Muzira, R., Wakulira, M., Lagu, C. and Natuha, S. (2019) Gaining Insights in Soil Fertility on Lixic Ferralsols: Linking Banana Productivity to Soil Nutrient Dynamics in Smallholder Farming Systems in South-Western Uganda. Open Access Library Journal, 6, Article No. e5841. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1105841
[18]
Krasilnikov, P., Taboada, M. and Amanullah, A. (2022) Fertilizer Use, Soil Health and Agricultural Sustainability. Agriculture, 12, Article No. 462. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12040462
[19]
Kabasiita, J.K., Opolot, E. and Malinga, G.M. (2022) Quality and Fertility Assessments of Municipal Solid Waste Compost Produced from Cleaner Development Mechanism Compost Projects: A Case Study from Uganda. Agriculture, 12, Article No. 582. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12050582
