ABSTRACT

A laboratory experiment was set up at Kogi State University Anyigba at the faculty of Agriculture, department of soil and environmental management Laboratory to evaluate the effect of different levels of poultry manure on total heterotrophic bacteria in a cropped soil. Soil samples were collected from many random points at the Kogi State University Teaching and Research Farm at a depth of 0-15cm using an auger. The collected samples were bulked into one composite sample which was taken to the laboratory. Also the poultry manure (PM) used as amendment in this research was collected from Rock poultry Farm located behind The Redeemed Christian Fellowship (RCF) Anyigba. This was also air dried and taken to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the air dried soil sample was crushed and sieved through a 2mm sieve to separate gravel, rocks and large root particles. A stock sample was then collected for the physico-chemical analysis in the laboratory. The air dried poultry manure was also crushed and sieved through a 2mm sieve to separate the manure from the rice   offal which was used as the litter material at the poultry farm. Sample was then taken from the filtrate upon which physico-chemical analysis was carried out in the laboratory.100g of soil was weighed into six (6) Petri dishes and labelled T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively to indicate the different quantity of poultry manure to be amended into each 100g soil in each Petri-dish. Excluding T0 which is the control level (no poultry manure was added), 1g, 2g, 3g, 4g and 5g of poultry manure was weighed and added to the soil in the Petri dishes labelled T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 accordingly. The soil and the poultry manure were thoroughly mixed then water was added to moist the mixture but the soil was not saturated.  This mixture (the moist soil and the poultry manure sample) was then incubated and the readings were taken for 8 weeks at two week intervals. However, the serial dilution and inoculation for the 0 week (no incubation) was carried out the same and the readings taken from the 5th dilution which is 10-6.  Theinoculates in the Petri-dishes were incubated for 48hours after which the colonies were counted under a microscope. The serial dilution and inoculation was carried out 5 times at two weeks interval And the result was subjected to ANOVA (Analysis Of Variance).The result from the analysis showed that there was significant difference between T0 (control) T6 (5g PM) at 0week (no incubation), 2,4,6 and 8 weeks respectively.