Comparative evaluation of chicken manure and chemical fertilizer on yield, nutrient concentrations and grain quality of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

In order to investigate the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on yield and concentration of elements in Hashemi cultivar of rice, a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in a field experiment in Rice Research Institute of Iran. Fertilizer treatments included chemical fertilizer, poultry manure and control. The measured traits included grain yield, straw and chaff, biomass, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, conversion efficiency and grain quality. The results showed that fertilizer treatment had a significant effect on all measured traits. The highest grain yield (6629 kg ha-1) was obtained from chemical fertilizer. The highest straw yield was 5974 kg ha-1 from poultry manure. However, the grain yield and straw yield was not significantly different between chicken manure and chemical fertilizer treatment. The highest amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and copper were obtained in seed using chemical fertilizer, which did not have significant difference with chicken manure. The highest zinc content was found in chicken manure treatment. In general, although the traits mostly in the chemical fertilizer treatment were higher than poultry manure treatment, the differences were not significantly different. Therefore, poultry manure can be used as a safe alternative to the environment or as a safe supplement to chemical fertilizer in rice farming.