Browsing by Author "Amoding, Alice"

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    Assessment of plants for phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils in the Sudd Wetland of South Sudan
    (Plant, Soil and Environment, 2019) Alexander Ruley, Jane; Tumuhairwe, John Baptist; Amoding, Alice; Opolot, Emmanuel; Oryem-Origa, Hannington; Basamba, Twaha
    Hydrocarbon contaminants have become a global concern due to their long-term adverse effects on soil ecosystems and human health. Successful implementation of phytoremediation to clean up hydrocarbon contaminants requires the identification of the most effective remediation plant species. Twelve native plant species of the Sudd Wetland in South Sudan were evaluated for their potential application as phytoremediators. The treatments included six total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 g/kg soil. The twelve native plant species tested were: Sorghum arundinaceum Desv., Oryza longistaminata A. Chev. & Roehrich, Hyparrhenia rufa Nees, Abelmoschus ficulneus L., Gossypium barbadense L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Sorghum bicolour L. Moench, Eleusine coracana Gaertn., Capsicum frutescens L., Zea mays L., Tithonia diversifolia Hemsl. and Medicago sativa L. Significant differences in phytoremediation rates were observed amongst the treatments with exception of the 125 g/kg soil concentration of hydrocarbon that was lethal to all the plant species. Over 50% TPH reduction in the 75 g/kg soil concentration was observed in contaminated soil phytoremediation in H. rufa, G. barbadense, O. longistaminata, T. diversifolia and S. arundinaceum, making them potential phytoremediators of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in the Sudd-Wetland of South-Sudan.
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    Comparison Of Kiln-Derived And Gasifier-Derived Biochars As Soil Amendments In The Humid Tropics
    (Biomass and Bioenergy, 2012) Deal, Christopher; Brewer, Catherine E.; Brown, Robert C.; Okure, Mackay A.E.; Amoding, Alice
    Biochar is the carbonaceous solid byproduct from thermal treatment of biomass that is produced specifically for application to soils. Studies have shown that when biochar is added to soils, it is able to increase yields, improve soil properties, and effectively store carbon for hundreds to thousands of years. This study compared the performance of biochar from five different feedstocks (coffee husks, maize cobs, eucalyptus wood, groundnut shells, and rice husks) produced in a traditional kiln and biochar from two different feedstocks (maize cobs and eucalyptus wood) produced in a downdraft gasifier. This research, conducted at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, was aimed at investigating the potential of biochar as a soil amendment in the humid tropics. Biochar samples were combined with undisturbed soil in a 45-day pot experiment to compare effects on maize growth. On average, soils amended with gasifier-produced biochar had higher yields than the unamended soil and soils amended with kiln-produced biochar. Comparing kiln-produced chars from different feedstocks, the coffee husk chars were the most productive. Results indicated that the soluble ash content of the biochar had the greatest influence on soil productivity. Ugandan soils, like most soils in the humid tropics, are strongly acidic (pH = 4.7), and the increase in pH caused by the soluble ash in the biochar provided for more favorable growing conditions and higher nutrient availability.
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    Effectiveness of crop-waste compost on a Eutric Ferralsol
    (Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 2011) Amoding, Alice; Tenywa, John Stephen; Ledin, Stig; Otabbong, Erasmus
    Lack of environmentally safe handling of garbage is a growing problem in urban sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Composting the garbage for soil-fertility management presents an opportunity for reducing the risks of environmental pollution. This study aimed at evaluating the agronomic effectiveness and nutrient-utilization efficiency of urban market crop-waste compost on a Eutric Ferralsol. The study was conducted in central Uganda with treatments including compost applied at 0, 5, and 10 t ha–1 (d.w. basis); inorganic N fertilizer at rates of 0, 40, and 80 kg ha–1 and inorganic P fertilizer at 0, 9, and 18 kg ha–1. Maize (Zea mays L.), variety Longe 4 was used as the test crop. The nutrient quality of the compost was medium with total N of 0.9% and total P of 0.45%. Compost significantly increased plant height, LAI, stover weight, and grain yield; however, there were no significant differences between the 5 and 10 t ha–1 rates. Nitrogen also had a significant effect on LAI and stover yield, though there was no significant difference between the 40 and 80 kg ha–1 rates. Likewise, P increased plant height with no significant difference between the 9 and 18 kg ha–1 rates. Mineral N at 40 kg ha–1 led to the highest increase in N uptake by plants (76%) above the control. Nitrogen- and P-utilization efficiencies for the 5 t ha–1 compost rate were more than twice that of the 10 t ha–1 rate. The highest P-utilization efficiency (69%) was obtained where 9 kg ha–1 P was applied with 40 kg ha–1 N, while the highest N-utilization efficiency (48%) was obtained with the 5 t ha–1 compost applied together with N at 40 kg ha–1. From the above studies, it is clear that effectiveness of the 5 t ha–1 compost rate is the most promising.
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    How Safe is Chicken Litter for Land Application as an Organic Fertilizer? A Review
    (International journal of environmental research and public health, 2019) Kyakuwaire, Margaret; Olupot, Giregon; Amoding, Alice; Kizza, Peter Nkedi; Basamba, Twaha Ateenyi
    Chicken litter application on land as an organic fertilizer is the cheapest and most environmentally safe method of disposing of the volume generated from the rapidly expanding poultry industry worldwide. However, little is known about the safety of chicken litter for land application and general release into the environment. Bridging this knowledge gap is crucial for maximizing the benefits of chicken litter as an organic fertilizer and mitigating negative impacts on human and environmental health. The key safety concerns of chicken litter are its contamination with pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, helminthes, parasitic protozoa, and viruses; antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant genes; growth hormones such as egg and meat boosters; heavy metals; and pesticides. Despite the paucity of literature about chicken litter safety for land application, the existing information was scattered and disjointed in various sources, thus making them not easily accessible and difficult to interpret. We consolidated scattered pieces of information about known contaminants found in chicken litter that are of potential risk to human, animal, and environmental health and how they are spread. This review tested the hypothesis that in its current form, chicken litter does not meet the minimum standards for application as organic fertilizer. The review entails a meta-analysis of technical reports, conference proceedings, peer-reviewed journal articles, and internet texts. Our findings indicate that direct land application of chicken litter could be harming animal, human, and environmental health. For example, counts of pathogenic strains of Eschericia coli (105–1010 CFU g−1) and Coliform bacteria (106–108 CFU g−1) exceeded the maximum permissible limits (MPLs) for land application. In Australia, 100% of broiler litter tested was contaminated with Actinobacillus and re-used broiler litter was more contaminated with Salmonella than non-re-used broiler litter. Similarly, in the US, all (100%) broiler litter was contaminated with Eschericia coli containing genes resistant to over seven antibiotics, particularly amoxicillin, ceftiofur, tetracycline, and sulfonamide. Chicken litter is also contaminated with a vast array of antibiotics and heavy metals. There are no standards set specifically for chicken litter for most of its known contaminants. Even where standards exist for related products such as compost, there is wide variation across countries and bodies mandated to set standards for safe disposal of organic wastes. More rigorous studies are needed to ascertain the level of contamination in chicken litter from both broilers and layers, especially in developing countries where there is hardly any data; set standards for all the contaminants; and standardize these standards across all agencies, for safe disposal of chicken litter on land.