Some chemical parameters of a fertilized productive pond

Abstract

Some chemical parameters of a rock water productive pond were determined. Chicken droppings were applied at the rate of 1.5kg per day to a pond of mean surface area of 300m²:. The experimental period lasted for 10 months, with the first five months as the unfertilized period and the remaining five months as the fertilized period. All water quality parameters were studied titrimetrically and triplicated for accuracy and precision. There was no significant variation (P>0.05) in the conductivity (ionic content) of the pond water whether fertilized or unfertilized. The increased in the mean values of free carbon dioxide during the fertilized period was attributed to increased rate of decomposition of organic matter and a concomitant release of carbon dioxide. Both phosphate-phosphorus (P04-P) and nitrate-nitrogen (N0₃-N) were significantly different (P<0.05) when the pond was fertilized. This was attributed to the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus as part of the constituents of chicken droppings. From this study it was observed that the use of fertilizer has favourable effect on the chemical parameters of the pond.

Keywords: Free carbon dioxide, Phosphate-Phosphorus (P04-P), Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), Conductivity, Chicken droppings

Animal Research International (2012) 9(3): 1632 – 1637