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Matching Livestock Systems with Available Resources |
MEKARN Regional Conference 2007 |
The water plants Enydra Fluctuans and Ipomoea aquatica (Water spinach) were used to treat the waste water produced at the pig farm. There were six levels with 4 replications to compare : 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% pig waste with water. Each container was seeded with a fixed weight of shoots of Water spinach and Enydra Fluctuans. The biomass was harvested after 30 days.
The results showed that Enydra Fluctuans and Water spinach could survive when planted in piggery waste water at all dilutions, but biomass yield decreased with increasing concentration of the pig waste. All indices of water quality improved with time the trends being most marked at the highest concentrations of pig waste. Levels of crude protein and phosphorus in aerial parts and in roots of both plants increased as the concentration of pig waste water increased. There appeared to be no differences between the two plants in their capacity to improve water quality and accumulate nutrients.