Use of poultry manure as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer: A review of potential human and environmental health risks

Abstract

Poultry manure has excellent potential to reduce overdependence on inorganic fertilizers for crop production among resource-constrained farming communities. However, its use on a large scale could possess short- and long-term risks. These risks fall into three main categories, namely human and other livestock, crop health, and environmental. This review research presented the potential value of chicken manure in soil health and food security stability. The review also presented the critical risks, such as pathogen transmission, heavy metal accumulation, and nutrient runoff, that are likely to hinder the large-scale use of poultry manure. Finally, this research has intensively presented scientifically proven strategies that could be adapted and adopted to help mitigate the current risks. Active government involvement through formulating and enacting appropriate policies and laws provides the first step in risk mitigation. Other practices, such as manure treatment and the adoption of better agronomic practices, are essential and have proved to be critical for the safe use of poultry manure. Poultry manure has excellent potential to reduce overdependence on inorganic fertilizers. To do this effectively, appropriate policies and laws should be enacted to encourage the use of safe products in the poultry sector, proper manure collection, and treatment and use. Farmers should choose and apply manure within the best agronomic principles.