A review of the use of manure in small-scale crop production systems in South Africa

This paper reviews the problems of soil fertility under small-scale crop. production systems in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The role of manure in maintaining and replenishing soil fertility for crop production and the fate of manure once applied to the soil are reviewed and discussed. Special emphasis is placed on cattle and chicken manure and the role that soil texture plays in the mineralization of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). In KwaZulu-Natal, small-scale farmers' maize (Zea mays L.) yields are between 1.0 and 1.5 mg ha(-1), which is very low compared with the maize potential yield of 4.5 mg ha(-1) for the area under small-scale farming conditions. A review of available literature on the use of manure for soil-fertility management showed that manure is a good source of plant nutrients. The use of manure is an old technology that is appropriate for small-scale farmers in South Africa, as most farmers practice mixed livestock and crop farming. Despite the use of manure dating back many years, small-scale farmers in South Africa are not fully exploiting the available manure for replenishing the fertility of their soils.