Redalyc.Manure Qualities of Guano of Insectivorous Cave Bat

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Redalyc.Manure Qualities of Guano of Insectivorous Cave Bat Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems E-ISSN: 1870-0462 [email protected] Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán México Sridhar, K.R.; Ashwini, K.M.; Seena, S.; Sreepada, K.S. Manure qualities of guano of insectivorous cave bat Hipposideros speoris Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, vol. 6, núm. 2, 2006, pp. 103-110 Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida, Yucatán, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=93960208 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 2006 (6): 103 - 110 MANURE QUALITIES OF GUANO OF INSECTIVOROUS CAVE BAT Hipposideros speoris Tropical and [CALIDAD DEL GUANO PROVENIENTE DEL MURCIELAGO Hipposideros speoris] Subtropical K.R. Sridhar1*, K.M. Ashwini2, S. Seena1 and K.S. Sreepada3 Agroecosystems 1Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangalore 574 199, Karnataka, India, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Varanashi Research Foundation, Adyanadka 574 260, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India 3Department of Applied Zoology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangalore 574 199, Karnataka, India *Corresponding author SUMMARY RESUMEN This study aimed at assessing the physicochemical Se evaluaron las características físico-químicas, characteristics, microflora and manure quality of microflora y calidad del guano proveniente del guano of an endemic insectivorous cave bat murciélago insectívoro Hipposideros speoris. Se Hipposideros speoris. The impact of bat guano on crop evaluó el efecto del guano en el crecimiento de growth was also assessed. Results indicated that cultivos. Los resultados indicaron que los pellets organic matter, total carbon, total nitrogen and fecales contenían cantidades elevadas de material phosphate were high in faecal pellets. Calcium, organica, carbono, nitrógeno y fosfato. Los contenidos magnesium, bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were de calcio, magnesio, bacterias, actinomicetos y hongos higher in humus-like guano than faecal pellets. fueron mayores en el guano que en los pellets fecales. Physicochemical features and microbial load between Las características físico químicas y la carga microbial faecal pellets and humus-like guano significantly del guano y los pellets fecales fueron differed (p<0.05). One set control pots received red significativamente diferentes (P<0.05). en una prueba loamy soil; four sets of experimental pots received soil con macetas estas recibieron suelo, suelo mezclado amended with different quantity of guano (w/w); one con diferentes cantidades de guano (w/w), guano + set each with guano + farm yard manure (FYM) and heces de granja (HG) y sólo HG. Después de tres o FYM. After three weeks (finger millet) and six weeks seis semanas de cultivo se evaluaron varios (black gram) of growth, crops were harvested and parámetros. Los cultivos mostraron mayores assessed various parameters. Both crops, in soil crecimientos, contenidos de materia seca y nitrógeno y amended with guano at the ratio of 20:1 showed the captura de nitrógeno en los suelos con guano 20:1 y highest shoot length, total dry matter, nitrogen content estos fueron significativamente diferentes del control and nitrogen uptake. The shoot length, total dry matter, (P<0.05). Los resultaron mostraron que la nitrogen content and nitrogen uptake in both crops incorporación de pequeñas cantidades de guano de were significantly differed between treatment 20:1 and murciélago mejora la producción de cultivos. La control (p<0.05). The results clearly indicated that importancia de conservar murciélagos insectívoros en incorporation of low amount of bat guano into the soil campos agrícolas y su guano es enfatizada. enhances crop production. Importance of conservation of insectivorous bats in agricultural fields and their Palabras clave: murciélago insectívoro de caverna, guano have been emphasized. guano de murciélago, fertilizante orgánico, producción de cultivos. Key words: Hipposideros speoris, insectivorous cave bat, bat guano, organic manure, crop production. INTRODUCTION farming has been promoted to restore soil health and fertility status. Application of farmyard manure Although agricultural chemicals drastically increase (FYM), compost, green manure and bioinoculants are food production, it leads to impaired soil health, the most important management practices in organic depletion of organic matter and microbes and farming (Thampan, 1993). Improvement of soil persistence of heavy metals and pesticides. Organic fertility through the application of vermicompost is 103 Sridhar et al., 2006 becoming more popular. In contrast to chemical Analysis of guano fertilizers, application of FYM meets one half of nitrogen, one sixth of phosphate and about one half of The guano deposited on sand and soil surface was potassium requirements of crops during the first cleared to quantify the deposition in three months season. On equivalent nitrogen basis, FYM or compost duration in unit area. The fresh weight, dry weight is 40-60% efficient as chemical nitrogenous fertilizers (dried at 80ºC for 24 hr), pH (1:20 dilution w/v with to increase crop production. Even though long-term distilled water), electrical conductivity, organic matter, (>5 years) application of organic manure overcome total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, phosphate, such disparity, efficient application of organic matter potassium, calcium, magnesium (Jackson, 1973), for self-sustenance in agriculture has not reached the bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi (Aaranson, 1970) of farming community. Several organic manures of faecal pellets and humus guano were determined. All animal origin are available for use (e.g. night soil, parameters were assessed for five replicate samples. bovine dung and urine, sheep manure, poultry manure, bat guano, silkworm wastes and vermicompost). Bioassay Availability of such manures for crop production is restricted due to many constraints such as geographical Efficiency of humus-like bat guano in crop production region, awareness of manure value, extent of manure was assessed based Neubauer technique on amending production and management. There is ample scope to bat guano with soil and farmyard manure (FYM) assess and utilize non-conventional organic manures in (Tisdale and Nelson, 1975). Seven treatments (T1-T7) agriculture. Recently, the use of pill millipedes (5 replicates each) consisting of loamy soil (collected (Arthrosphaera magna) in composting organic matter at 30 cm depth), bat guano and farm yard manure has been proposed (Ashwini and Sridhar, 2002, 2006; (FYM) (w/w) were assessed. Red loamy soil (150 g) Ashwini, 2003). Likewise, bat guano has been was mixed with bat guano and FYM in different assessed to understand bat diets and food habits proportions in plastic pots. The treatments include: T1, (Marais et al. 1980; Fenton et al., 1998; Korine et al., soil (control); T2-T5, soil + bat guano (20:10, 20:5, 1999), nitrogen and mineral budgets (Studier et al., 20:2.5, 20:1 respectively); T6, soil + bat guano + FYM 1991), seed dispersal (Korine et al., 1999), habitat (20:2.5:10); T7, soil + FYM (20:10). Finger millet preference, flight activity (Zielinski and Gellman, (Eleusine coracana) and legume (Phaseolus mungo) 1999), ecology and conservation strategies (Korine et were used as test crops to assess the efficiency of al., 1999; Bhat and Sreenivasan, 1990). The specific manure treatments. Seeds were soaked in tap water up objectives of our study were: 1) to assess the to six hours. Water was drained and the seeds were physicochemical characteristics and microflora of allowed to germinate overnight on wet cloth. Fifty guano of an endemic cave bat (Hipposideros speoris); germinated finger millet seeds and five germinated 2) to assess the feasibility of amending soil with bat black gram seeds were sown separately per treatment guano to increase crop production. and allowed to grow in green house. The pots were watered twice a day until harvest (finger millet, 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS weeks; black gram, 6 weeks). On uprooting the seedlings, shoot and root lengths were determined. Study location Plants were dried, ground and assessed for the total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (Jackson, 1973). The study site is located at Assaigoli village (12°47’ Uptake of NPK by the crops was evaluated based on N, 74°52’ E), 18 km away from Mangalore towards the dry mass and nutrient levels in plants (Shuxin et Mangalore University. At the cellar of a private al., 1992). residence exposed to mixed plantation and forest, a colony of an insectivorous cave bat, Hipposideros Statistical analysis speoris (Figure 1. A, B, C) was traced in January 2003. This species is endemic and confined to India Paired t-test was used to assess the difference in and Sri Lanka (Bates and Harrison, 1997). A huge physicochemical characteristics and microbial load cave at 50 m away from cellar was the day roosting between faecal pellets and humus guano. So also the site of these bats. About 400-500 bats regularly roost total dry matter, shoot length, NPK and uptake of NPK during night in the cellar ceiling measuring 36 m2. in crops grown with different treatments (Stat Soft Bats arrive after dusk, stay overnight and continuously Inc., 1995). move in and out for hunting. Sand has been spread on half of the floor area, while the rest consists
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