Authors : Hasan Yilmaz , Hayati Koknaroglu and Vecdi Demircan
Abstract: Aim of the study, was to analyze economics of manure use for different size and to try to establish a budget for plant nutrient demands and in addition to show how much fertilizer could be saved by introducing manure as fertilizer in beef cattle farms engaged also in crop production in Afyon province in Turkey. Data were obtained by conducting a questionnaire with 100 beef cattle farms selected by stratified random sampling method and of these farms 77, which had beef cattle and crop production were analyzed. Considering animal population of farms and frequency distribution, farms were divided into 3 groups. Accordingly farms were classified as: Group I, farms that have 5-10 animals (27 farms), Group II, farms that have 11-25 animals (28 farms) and Group III, farms that have >25 animals (22 farms). It was found that as farm size increased ratio of crop nutrient demand met by manure increased. Crop nutrient demand met by manure was 22.0, 43.0 and 93.6% for Group I, II and III, respectively. When, farmers used manure as fertilizer, amount of saving were 30.6, 71.1 and 142.4 YTL ha-1 for Group I, II and III, respectively (1USD = 1.34 YTL). These results indicate that dependence of farmers to chemical fertilizers will be reduced and manure use will become economical for farmers. In addition, effective manure and chemical fertilizer management will minimize environmental pollution thus, aiding to sustainable agriculture.
Hasan Yilmaz , Hayati Koknaroglu and Vecdi Demircan , 2009. Economics of Manure use as Fertilizer in Crop Production Engaged also in Beef Cattle Farms in Turkey. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 843-852.