Use of Human Urine and Other Soil Amendments in Tomato and Pepper Production
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Date
2013-06
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Human urine is a valuable plant nutrient resource however; there is very little
information on using urine. This research examined the use of human urine as nutrient
source as well as biochar and compost as growing media for tomato (cv M2) and
pepper (Capsicum annum cv bird eye) production. This was studied under greenhouse
and field conditions. It further examined the perception and willingness of farmers,
marketers’ and consumers to grow, sell and consume vegetables fertilized with urine.
The green house experiment was designed using biochar alone and biochar amended
with compost (1:1v/v) as growing media. It further evaluated different nutrient
sources- urine diluted at the ratio 1: 6, 1: 5, 1: 4 urine/water (urine treatments); 30mg
N/L, 50mg N/L and 70mg N/ L (inorganic treatments) and water as a control..
Seedlings were dipped into the nutrient solutions until saturation through capillary
action for three weeks. Similarly, a pot experiment was carried out under field
conditions using a split plot design. Diluted urine (1:4 urine/water ratio) applied once,
twice and thrice a week on five different media treatments were evaluated. The media
treatments were; (1) Soil + RHB 1:1; (2) Soil + Compost 1:1; (3) Soil+ Compost+
RHB 1:1:1; (4) Soil + Compost+ RHB 1:1:2 (5) Soil + Compost+ RHB 1:2:1.
Applications of inorganic fertilizer and water were used as controls. Vegetative
parameters such as chlorophyll content, plant height, dry matter, stem diameter,
number of leaves and root to shoot ratio, yield and yield components were monitored.
It was observed that, when biochar was amended with compost, all vegetative
parameters increased significantly than biochar alone. For instance, compost amended
media increased tomato plant height and root length by 2.4 fold and 3.3 fold while
biochar alone increased by just over 100% and 1.2 folds respectively. In the nutrient
sources treatments, it was also observed that the shoot dry weight of tomato transplant
produced by DU 1:6 (0.46 mg/plant) was comparable to that produced by In-Fert 1
(0.49 mg/plant) and In-Fert 3 (0.42 mg/plant) treatments.
In the field, the highest yield 961 g/plant and fruit numbers 60 fruits/plant was in
plants grown in Soil + Compost+ RHB 1:1:2 fertigated with 0.45 g N/pot. This was
37% and 5.3 fold greater than in the inorganic fertilizer and (water) treatments
(p<0.05).
Generally, corresponding decreases in yield were recorded with high
irrigation frequencies. The questionnaire survey revealed that most respondents were
not aware of urine as fertilizer. Farmers were willing to use urine if it will improve
agriculture. Marketers were not willing to disclose to their clients if the vegetables are
fertilized with urine. Some consumers were willing to consume urine fertilized crop if
only it was safe to consume. The study concluded that urine combined with compost
and biochar is a good source of plant nutrients, especially nitrogen.
Description
Thesis (MPHIL)-University of Ghana, 2013