VALORIZATION OF LIVESTOCK MANURE AS A MEANS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN RURAL REGIONS

Abstract

The study was conducted both to highlight the negative environmental impacts associated with livestock manure and to assess the potential use of manure as a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers. To this end, three distinct samples of cattle manure at different stages of fermentation were collected. The main physico-chemical quality parameters analyzed were: pH, moisture content, organic matter, salt content, nitrate and ammoniacal nitrogen, phosphates, and potassium. Livestock manure represents a major source of pollution in rural areas, potentially causing diseases in animals and humans and contributing to the increase of the carbon footprint if storage regulations are not properly followed prior to its use as fertilizer. This research aims to determine the nutritional quality of the studied manure in order to evaluate its applicability as agricultural soil amendment.