Sustainable management strategy for converting poultry feather waste into valuable organic fertilizer: Improving the growth of Dalbergia sissoo using feather-based compost

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture faces challenges in managing agro-industrial biomass waste, particularly poultry feathers. Proper management of this naturally occurring, biodegradable raw organic waste can help improve soil fertility, promote plant growth, and reduce environmental stresses. This study was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt, to assess the efficacy of using various types of animal feces in the preparation of poultry feather-based composts, the quality of the prepared composts, and their potential effectiveness in improving the growth performance and chemical components of a medicinal leguminous tree (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) without compromising the environment. The results demonstrate that all feather-based composts enriched with animal feces had appropriate pH and C:N ratios, high concentrations of ash and NPK, and low concentrations of organic matter and total organic carbon when compared to feather compost without animal feces. Seedlings supplied with feces-enriched composts showed comparable growth and leaf content of photosynthetic pigments, total carbohydrates, amino acids, phenols, and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant activity, to those supplied with synthetic NPK fertilizers (control). The superior performance was obtained by compost prepared using fish culture sludge, followed by broiler chicken excreta, then the feces mixture, sheep dung, cow dung, and compost prepared without feces. Our study presents a sustainable nutrient recycling strategy based on the efficient and cost-effective conversion of poultry feather waste into an eco-friendly organic fertilizer (compost) for the fertilization of an economical medicinal tree species with broad ecological and landscape benefits in poor soils.