PRODUCTION OF BIOFERTILIZER FROM COCOA POD (THEOBROMA COCAO L) WASTES USING ANIMAL DUNG AS BOOSTER

Abstract

Biofertilizer is a substance that contains living microorganisms which when applied to seedlings or top soil, colonizes the rhizosphere and promotes growth by increasing availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Cocoa wastes (Pod) is of high environmental nuisance on cocoa plantation during its harvesting. There is therefore a need to recycle these wastes to useful forms. Among these are production of biofertilizer using animal dung as a booster. Fresh cocoa pods wastes were collected from Ajipowo camp at Idanre. These were subjected to microbiological, proximate and mineral composition. The cocoa pods were decomposed for nine weeks using animal dung (poultry droppings, pig and cow dungs) in ratio 3:1 of cocoa pod to animal dung. These decomposing wastes were subjected to microbiological and physiochemical analyses weekly. Experimental setup was carried out on the field and in the screen house in which the biofertilizers samples and the NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertilizer were used to plant two different species of maize (yellow and white). There was an initial increase in microbial population, moisture content and temperature of the various samples at the early stages of decomposition, but at the latter weeks there was a decrease in the microbial population. Cocoa pod and poultry droppings sample had the highest populations of (2.6 x106 - 2.9 x 106 cfu/ml), (8.4 x105 - 9.2 x 105sfu/ml) and (4 x104 - 12 x 104 cfu/ml) for bacteria, fungi and yeast respectively at the first week to fourth week of decomposition. It also had the highest moisture content (88.81%) at the fifth week and temperature (35oC) at the first week of decomposition. The samples had a neutral pH of 6.10 -7.41 at the initial stage of decomposition and alkaline pH of 7.79 – 9.07 at maturity. Fifteen bacteria and thirteen fungi were isolated during the decomposition. Common microorganisms throughout decomposition processes were Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Fusarium sporotrichoides, Mucor mucedo, Tricoderma viride, Aspergillus flavus, Cladosporium species and Neurospora crassa. There was a decrease in the temperature of the decomposing materials at maturity (27oC). The quantity of the decomposing materials was reduced to half of its original size. Its colour changes to chocolate with the absent of the foul odour. Maize planted on the soil with the biofertilizers samples showed better growth output in term of height, cobs, colour and girths of the plant than the NPK fertilizer. Height-350cm, girth-14cm, cobs-15 (big and strong) and colour of maize plant (deep green leaves) while height-320cm, girth 8cm, cobs-10 (small) and colour of maize plant (greenish yellow leaves) for biofertilizer and NPK respectively). The biofertilizer samples were better than the NPK fertilizer when used for planting and the poultry biofertilizer had the best yields among the biofertiizer produced. Using the cocoa pod and animal dungs wastes for the production of biofertilizer helps to reduce environmental pollution.