Vanangamudi, K ORGANIC MANURES GREEN MANURES Sources of organic wastes Nutrient content of organic manures Concentrated organic manures nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures Green manures Biomass production and N accumulation of green manures Nutrient content of green manures Green leaf manure Nutrient content of green leaf manure

1. ORGANIC MANURES AND GREEN MANURES
Dr. K. Vanangamudi
Formerly Dean (Agriculture), Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore;
Dean, Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College, Kalavai;
Professor & Head, Seed Science & Technology, TNAU, Coimbatore.
M. Kokila
PG Scholar, Department of Seed Science & Technology, TNAU, Coimbatore.
 Word manure derived from French word ‘Manoeuvrer, means to manipulate, to work,
to produce crop.
1. Sources of organic wastes
 Cattle shed wastes-dung, urine and slurry from biogas plants.
 Human habitation wastes-night soil, human urine, town refuse, sewage, sludge and
silage.
 Poultry litter, droppings of sheep and goat.
 Slaughter house wastes-bone meal, meat meal, and blood meal, horn and hoof meal,
fish wastes.
 Byproducts of agro industries-oil cakes, bagasse and press mud, fruit and vegetable
processing wastes.
 Crop wastes-sugarcane trash, stubbles and straw.
 Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), weeds and tank silt.
 Green manure crops and green leaf manuring materials.
1.1. Nutrient content of organic manures
Bulky organic manures N (%) P2O5 (%) K2O (%)
Farmyard manure 0.5 0.2 0.5
Sheep and goat manure 3.0 1.0 2.0
Poultry manure 3.03 2.63 1.4
 Supply plant nutrients including micronutrients.
 Improve soil physical properties like structure, water holding capacity etc.,
 Increase the availability of nutrients.
 Carbon dioxide released during decomposition acts as a CO2 fertilizer.
 Plant parasitic nematodes and fungi are controlled to some extent by altering the
balance of microorganisms in the soil.
1.2. Concentrated organic manures
Oilcakes Nutrient content (%)
N P2O5 K2O
Non edible oilcakes
Castor cake 4.3 1.8 1.3

2. Cotton seed cake (undecorticated) 3.9 1.8 1.6
Karanj cake 3.9 0.9 1.2
Mahua cake 2.5 0.8 1.2
Safflower cake (undecorticated) 4.9 1.4 1.2
Edible oil-cakes
Coconut cake 3.0 1.9 1.8
Cotton seed cake (decorticated) 6.4 2.9 2.2
Groundnut cake 7.3 1.5 1.3
Linseed cake 4.9 1.4 1.3
Niger cake 4.7 1.8 1.3
Rape seed cake 5.2 1.8 1.2
Safflower cake (decorticated) 7.9 2.2 1.9
Sesamum cake 6.2 2.0 1.2
1.3. Average nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures
Organic manures
Nutrient content (%)
N P2O5 K2O
Blood meal 10 - 12 1 - 2 1.0
Meat meal 10.5 2.5 0.5
Fish meal 4 - 10 3 - 9 0.3 - 1.5
Horn and hoof meal 13 - -
Raw bone meal 3 - 4 20 - 25 -
Steamed bone meal 1 - 2 25 - 30 -
2. Green manures
 Growing the plants and in situ incorporation in the field.
 Green manures refers to growing the plants and in situ incorporation in the field
2.1. Biomass production and N accumulation of green manure crops
Crop Age (days) Dry matter (t/ha) N accumulated
Sesbania aculeata 60 23.2 133
Sunnhemp 60 30.6 134
Cow pea 60 23.2 74
Pillipesara 60 25.0 102
Cluster bean 50 3.2 91
Sesbania rostrata 50 5.0 96
2.2. Nutrient content of green manure crops
Plant Scientific name
Nutrient content (%) on air dry basis
N P2O5 K
Sunhemp Crotalaria juncea 2.30 0.50 1.80
Dhaincha Sesbania aculeata 3.50 0.60 1.20
Sesbania Sesbania speciosa 2.71 0.53 2.21
3. Green leaf manure

3.  Addition of green or plant tissues obtained from elsewhere viz., trees, herbs, shrubs
prunings and unwanted weeds.
3.1. Nutrient content of green leaf manure
Plant Scientific name
Nutrient content (%)
N P2O5 K
Gliricidia Gliricidia sepium 2.76 0.28 4.60
Pungam Pongamia glabra 3.31 0.44 2.39
Neem Azadirachta indica 2.83 0.28 0.35
Gulmohur Delonix regia 2.76 0.46 0.50
Peltophorum
Peltophorum
ferrugineum
2.63 0.37 0.50
Weeds
Parthenium
Parthenium
hysterophorus
2.68 0.68 1.45
Water hyacinth
Eichhornia
crassipes
3.01 0.90 0.15
Trianthema
Trianthema
portulacastrum
2.64 0.43 1.30
Ipomoea Ipomoea 2.01 0.33 0.40
Calotrophis Calotropis gigantea 2.06 0.54 0.31
Cassia Cassia fistula 1.60 0.24 1.20
3.2. Benefits
 Addition of organic matter.
 Adds macro, secondary and micro nutrients.
 Improves physical condition of the soil.
 Acts as a soil amendment to reclamation of problem soils.
 Acts as a cover or catch crop to prevent soil erosion, conserve moisture, prevent
nutrient leaching.
 Leguminous crops fix the atmosphere N and improve N status of the soil.