Development Of Growth-Promoting Bio-Organic Fertilizer By Puffed Feathers As An Alternative Protein Source

Poultry feathers are produced in large amounts as a waste by-product due to a burst of poultry industry. Feathers are comprised of90%crude keratin protein and various amino acids. Thus discarding feathers improperly is a waste of resource and will lead to environment pollution. In this study, feathers were used as an alternative for protein production to reduce the price of existing commodity biological organic fertilizer. The results are as follow:1. To evaluate the effect of different ratios (w/w, fresh weight) of bulked poultry feathers, rapeseed cake and pig manure compost on secondary fermentation for the production of bio-organic fertilizer, we investigate the variation of temperature, the population of functional microorganism NJN-6, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), NH4+-N and C/N ratio during the fermenting process in different formulations. The results indicated that the formulation of15%feathers and85%pig manure compost could significantly increase the temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), and the number of functional microorganism during the fermenting process.2. To obtain the optimum ratio, we investigate the variation of pH, EC, NH4+-N and NO3-N, the population of functional microorganism NJN-6and GI after the fermentation of sixteen treatments. The results showed that the formulation with10%puffed feathers,10%rapeseed cake, and80%swine manure compost was the most suitable for the growth of functional bacteria, and population of functional microorganism NJN-6was reached to5.73×108(CFU/g).3. A pot experiment was conducted to test the effect of the bio-organic fertilizers made from different formulations on the growth of small greengrocery. The results indicated that the application of15%feathers into pig manure compost could significantly promote the growth of small greengrocery. In T3treatment (with15%puffed feathers), shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight and plant height were increased apparently by14.2%,31.8%and7.9%, respectively, compared to that in treatment without puffed feathers or rapeseed cake; while this increase in treatment only with inorganic NPK fertilizers was4.1%,11.8%,6.8%, respectively.Pot experiment was also designed to study the effect of bio-organic fertilizer on the growth of banana seeding. Results showed that the bio-organic fertilizer with the most efficient formulation significantly enhance the banana seeding growth. When compared with the CF treatment, the percent increase in plant height, stem girth, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight of banana seedlings by BIO-2(after100d of transplantation) was32.4%,33.3%,64.7%and50.9%, respectively. The percent increase of SPAD values of banana seeding leaf and root activity (after60d of transplantation) were11.9%and15.3%, respectively. Compared to the BIO treatment, BIO-2increased the plant height, stem girth, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight of banana seedlings by21.6%,17.8%,45.3%and38.2%, respectively, and the percent increase of SPAD values of banana seedlings leaf and root activity (after60d of transplantation) were5.4%and8.3%, respectively.