Urine Rabbit
Urine Rabbit
ISSN: 1727-8341
AER Journal Volume 4, Issue 1, pp.
Abstract
The study was conducted at CITC Kapsabet College in Nandi Central District-Nandi
County, Kenya. The objective was to determine the potential use of rabbit urine as a foliar
feed fertilizer in crops. Rabbit urine was collected from a gutter fitted to a slatted floor of
rabbit hutch and two replicate samples of concentrated urine 1000 ml each was collected and
taken to National Agricultural Research Laboratory (NARL) Kabete, for nutrient urinalysis.
Two samples of the control (commercial foliar feed fertilizer - CF) were also taken to NARL
for nutrient analysis. Other 50 ml. samples were collected in duplicate and diluted at 0%
(neat urine-F0%), 25%( F-25%) and 75% (F-75%). Undiluted urine and commercial
fertilizer (CF) 100 ml were diluted at the recommended rate of 5 ml per liter and collected
and taken to the same laboratory. The results of the rabbit urine laboratory nutrient analysis
indicated that rabbit urine had better nutrients than CF since rabbit urine had 1.05%
nitrogen, 0.01% phosphorus, 0.85% potassium and 0.12% calcium. Results also indicated
that sample extracts from the different proportion of rabbit urine was the same [F (3, 30)
=0.13, P>0.05]. The average yield per plot was highest for desmodium (2507 g), followed by
oats (1790 g) and finally spinach (620 g) at F50 concentration, respectively and there was no
significant difference of different proportions of rabbit urine on the biomass yield [F
(3,8)=0.24, p>0.05]. The commercial fertilizer had N, P, K and Ca percentages of 0.70, 0.02,
0.02 and 0.002, respectively. The rabbit urine was basic (pH 8.5) while CF was acidic (pH
5.0). Rabbit urine was therefore determined to have a better nutrient composition than
commercial foliar fed fertilizers. Desmodium had the highest yield of 2507 g. The urine was
basic and hence it be integrated with the use of chemical fertilizers to improve crop yield and
soil fertility by reducing soil acidity since it is a foliar feed. The study recommends that
farmers should use the right proportion of water and rabbit urine on plants to promote better
yield.
Keywords: Rabbit Urine Biomass Yield on Crops Rabbit urine, yield, CF, Bio-fertilizer
continually degraded soil from several
INTRODUCTION human activities. However, it is difficult to
The world’s population was projected to estimate exactly the contribution of mineral
increase to 9 billion in mid of this century fertilizers to the increase in agricultural
(Godfray et al., 2010). The increasing production due to the interactions of many
population leads to higher demand for food factors, but fertilizers will continue to play a
security globally. This has resulted in decisive role in food production irrespective
adoption of better farming methods as crops of which new technology may yet emerge. It
form part of the food security. Better is estimated that globally, about 40% (37-
farming methods involve the use of 43%) of the world’s dietary protein supply
fertilizers to improve the quality of the
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Mutai, P. A. The Potential Use of Rabbit Urine as a Bio Fertilizer …
(Huang et al., 2017).
in the mid 1990’s originated in the nitrogen Cobalt (CO) is essential for nitrogen
produced by the laboratory process of the fixation. It is important to know that all the
Haber, Bosch process for the synthesis of plant nutrients, be the Macro or Micro
ammonia (Wang et al., 2020). The use of nutrients fulfills a specific role in plant
rabbit urine as animal waste in form of a growth and food production and that one
bio-fertilizer in crop production is a nutrient cannot be substituted for another
relatively new venture. Rabbit production in one (Li et al., 2009).
Kenya is now an emerging livestock Historically farmers have alternated
enterprise and rabbit population is estimated cultivation with long fallow period or
at over 600,000 in Kenya (Serem et al., rotation with other crops to manage soil
2013). They are mainly kept in the rural fertility; however, in response to rising
areas and they supply good quality meat, fur, demand for food and reduced land for
rabbit skin, rabbit manure, feaces and rabbit agricultural production, farmers have
urine (Mutai et al., 2018). shortened or abandoned fallow period and
Macronutrients crop rotation in favour of continuous
Nitrogen (N) is the motor of plant growth cropping which has resulted in use of
and makes up to 1- 4% of dry matter of the fertilizers to improve soil fertility (Esilaba et
plant and taken up in the form of nitrate al., 2016). Early findings from another study
(NO3-) or ammonium (NH4+) and in the showed that one of the major causes of low
plants it combines with compounds maize yield in Western Kenya is soil acidity
produced by carbohydrate metabolism to precipitated by intensive use of chemical
form amino acids and proteins. It is also fertilizers (Ichami et al., 2020). Through soil
responsible for uptake of other nutrients sampling the KARI researchers found out
(Mengel et al., 2001; L'hirondel, 2002). that the average potential of Hydrogen (pH),
levels in soils in that region was 4.5, which
Phosphorous (P) makes up to 0.1 – 0.4% of is too acidic for maize production. This has
the dry matter of plants and plays a major impacted negatively on soil fertility
role in energy transfer and is responsible for (Wamalwa, 2018). An organization
photosynthesis and other chemico sponsored by the USAID supports the
physiological processes in the plant. It is application of integrated soil fertility
indispensable for cell differentiation and management systems (ISFM); by
tissue development forming the growing emphasizing site-specific soil analysis and
points of plants (Chaudhary et al., 2008; Wu fertilizer selection; precision fertilizer
et al., 2013). application and increased use of lime
Potassium (K) makes up to 1- 4% of the blended and customized fertilizer (Vanlauwe
plant dry matter and activates more than 60 et al., 2017).
enzymes hence it plays a vital role in protein There is therefore need to improve soil
and carbohydrate synthesis and improve the fertility through strategic interventions e.g.,
water regime of the plant and increase its through optimization and balancing of use
tolerance to drought, frost, salinity and of chemicals and organic fertilizers through
disease resistance (Zahedi, 2016). fertilizer application techniques, e.g. foliar
Micronutrients feeds; increasing the number of bio
Calcium (Ca) is essential for root growth fertilizers policy supplies and support by the
and as a constituent of cell wall material Kenya Government. The national average
(structural role) and deficiency may occur maize yield has declined over the years from
on strongly calcium depleted tropical soils 2.2 metric tons (MT) per hectare in the
and hence the aim of calcium application is 1990’s to 1.73MT in 2013 (Onono et al.,
that of soil-liming to reduce soil acidity
AER Journal Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 138-147, December 2020
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Mutai, P. A. The Potential Use of Rabbit Urine as a Bio Fertilizer …
soil fertility by improving such parameters
as soil pH, potassium; calcium and
2013). Also, a value chain study revealed magnesium bioavailability as compared to
that aggregated demand for maize is conventional use of mineral (chemical
expected to increase from 3.21 million (MT) fertilizers (Studer et al., 2014). A senior
to 3.48 million (MT) in the next decade scientist at Farming Systems – India, reports
mainly aggravated by population growth that a parallel study in India and Bolivia on
(Mumo et al., 2018). However, in the high cotton and coffee production indicated
potential (Kenya’s grain basket) areas of the positive results in organic farming (Forster
North and South Rift Valley regions, soils et al., 2013).
are becoming more acidic due to prolonged
use of inorganic (chemical) fertilizers, On the other hand, another study states that
especially ammonium phosphate (DAP) there is no difference between organic and
(Makone et al., 2015). conventional farming methods with respect
to diseases e.g. Maize-streak virus and
Kenya in the pursuit to meet the national Turcicum leaf blight (Ayiga-Aluba et al.,
food security has embarked on the 2015). In another report it is stated that
construction of a first chemical fertilizer organic farming can contribute to Africa’s
factory in Ngeria-Eldoret in Uasin-Gishu food security but unfortunately has not been
County as was reported by Kenya’s embraced fully in Africa because many
Standard Newspaper of 1.8.2016 (Silah, fertilizers’ manufactures that happens to be
2016). In this publication the Kenya multinationals have powers to influence
government has embarked on a multi-billion agricultural policies which are in their
fertilizer processing plant which is expected favors (Adamtey, 2016).
to churn out an average of 20,000 kg of
fertilizer per day. The national government In another study, addition of different
is said to work in collaboration with the organic manures in addition to
respective county governments in verifying recommended rates of inorganic fertilizer
soil samples for pH analysis especially in resulted in the higher organic carbon content
regions where farmers have exhausted soil and available nutrients status of the soil
fertility through the use of persistent tillage compared to chemical fertilizers alone, the
and chemical fertilizers that lead to soil study which was done on sugar cane
acidity and poor crop productivity. In order production in India also recorded a better
to integrate the use of chemical fertilizers sugarcane juice quality in manure treated
and bio fertilizers the following organic plots than those on recommended chemical
manures can be considered: Cow dung, pig fertilizer rates only. The study concluded
and poultry wastes and lately the use of that integrating use of organic manures and
rabbit urine. The use of rabbit urine as a chemical fertilizers produced higher and
bio-fertilizer as was the objective in this sustainable cane yields and maintained the
research study is an idea whose time has soil fertility (Rama et al., 2011). The
come to reduce the use of chemical continuous addition of organic manures
fertilizers in an integrated interventional along with chemical fertilizers may
approach to improve soil fertility and to stimulate mineralization and immobilization
meet specific customer demand in of plant nutrients hence affecting their
agricultural products. amounts in different organic and inorganic
forms in the soil (Bedada et al., 2014).
Researchers now recommend farming with Combined application of organic manure
less use of chemicals fertilizers (Zhou et al., with inorganic fertilizers significantly
2010; Savari & Gharechaee, 2020; Morris et increased the soil organic carbon content
al., 2007). It is also reported by the research due to addition of organic matter through
institute of organic agriculture (FIBL) that manures than chemical fertilizers alone.
organic farming is viable strategy in the
tropics due to its significance in improving
Table 1: Nutrient composition of rabbit urine and commercial foliar feed fertilizer at
different dilution rates
Nitro Phosphor Potassi Calcium Magnesi pH
gen ous (%) um (%) um (%)
(%) (%)
Using Stata software, the results of rabbit shows that by diluting rabbit urine by 50%
urine nutrient analysis are shown above. with water, it brings the nitrogen
concentration to the figure of 0.70 which
The p value is 0.9413 which is greater than actually is equal to that in the commercial
0.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis is not fertilizer (CF), which is diluted at a
rejected meaning sample extracts are the recommended rate of 5 ml. per liter of water.
same for all treatments and hence means These findings disagree with findings of
there is no significant difference [F(3,20) Sunandra et al. (2019) who found out that
=0.13, p>0.05] in all treatments. melon plant grows faster with addition of
The macronutrients, i.e. Nitrogen (N), 300 cc of rabbit urine diluted in 1 liter of
Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) for both water.
samples taken from each treatment (dilution The rabbit urine can be collected easily with
rate) shows no significant difference no extra expense by rabbit farmers meaning
(p>0.05), with the F100% (undiluted urine) it can be sustainable and cost-effective
and F75% dilutions recording the highest method of improving crop yield and soil
N% of 1.05, and the F50% and CF having fertility. The percentage levels of
the same % Nitrogen of 0.70. In spite of the phosphorous (P) at 0.01 for F 100%
dilution of 25% water for the F75% (control-untreated), 0.02, 0.02 and 0.02 for
fertilizer, the nitrogen concentration still F50%, F75%, and CF, respectively had
remained the same as with the F100% insignificant difference as shown by the p
fertilizer. This shows that rabbit urine is a value which is greater than 0.05, and that the
very concentrated solution and has been F50 fertilizer had same percentage
supported by Wandita & Fitriyanto (2016) phosphorous as the commercial fertilizer
who reported that rabbit urine has a very
high concentration of nitrogen. The study
AER Journal Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 138-147, December 2020
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Mutai, P. A. The Potential Use of Rabbit Urine as a Bio Fertilizer …
were also insignificant meaning there was
no significant difference between the
(CF) while potassium percentage levels
proportion of potassium in rabbit urine and
Rabbit urine is alkaline (pH 8.5) as shown in
CF when different percentage of water was
Table 1 and in spite of a 25% dilution with
added to them. For calcium it is the same for
water, the pH of the 75% concentrated urine
F50%, F75% and CF at percentage of 0.02
is similar to that of the 100% concentration.
but F100% had slightly more calcium
However, the pH of 50% concentrated urine
percentage of 0.05 since it was undiluted.
is 8.0 which is still alkaline as compared to a
Calcium is essential for cell wall
pH of 5.0 of the commercial foliar feed
development in plants hence good for
fertilizers- acidic.
structural and textural development and
helps mainly cereals crops to stand firm and The Alkaline pH in concentrated urine may
prevent lodging towards maturity stage or explain why the low phosphorous levels in
incase of strong winds. Rabbit urine has the two solutions occurs since phosphorous
enough calcium for this purpose and can be (P) and Calcium (Ca) have inhibitory
used in an integrated approach with nutrient element availability when the ratio
chemical fertilizers. Similarly, the of the two elements is not that of 2:1 (P and
magnesium contents of 0.57 in F50%, and Ca, respectively). This is also supported by
0.65 in CF indicates that the same mixing the fact that once the 100% urine was
levels of fertilizers can replace each other. diluted to be 50% the phosphorous pH level
The same case as can be seen with respect to was 8.0 and available phosphorous
NPK levels in F50% and CF. increased to 0.02.
Table 3: Biomass Yield of the Three Crops after a Growth Period of 6 Months
Treatments
Weight (g)
KEY:
F50%=50 percent diluted rabbit urine fertilizer
F75%- 75 Percent dilution rate of rabbit urine fertilizer.
F100%=100% Rabbit urine fertilizer (undiluted)
CF=Commercial fertilizer (Foliar feed diluted at manufactures rate of 5 ml. Mixed with 1 lt. of water)