Integrated farming, waste management and environmental care
Domain 8 – Integrated farming, waste management and environmental care
The exam tests how poultry fits with crops, fish and biogas, and how to manage manure, odour and waste without polluting water or soil.
Core rules
- Integration: poultry–fish (duck or chicken manure fertilises pond plankton), poultry–horticulture (manure for fruit and vegetables), poultry–biogas (manure to digester), and poultry–vermicompost. Integration reduces waste and input costs but must not overload the system.
- Manure: about 8–10 kg fresh manure per bird per year; compost before field use to kill pathogens and weed seeds. Raw manure should not be dumped into ponds or applied fresh to vegetables.
- Odour and flies: keep litter dry, remove wet spots, ensure ventilation, manage drainage, and compost away from houses. Do not burn plastic waste.
- Environmental care: protect water sources, avoid antibiotic residues in manure, and follow withdrawal periods.
Worked example
A farmer with 100 birds wants to use manure in a fish pond. Fresh manure output is roughly 100 × 10 kg = 1,000 kg/year. Rather than dumping it all at once, compost it and apply in split doses; or use a small biogas digester. If the pond is small, raw manure can cause oxygen depletion and fish kills. The reasoned choice is compost or biogas first, then pond application at a safe rate.
Traps
- Applying fresh poultry manure directly to a fish pond.
- Assuming more manure always means more fish.
- Letting runoff enter drinking water sources.
- Using untreated litter on leafy vegetables.
Key points
- Integrate poultry with fish, horticulture, biogas or vermicompost carefully.
- Compost manure before field or pond use.
- Keep litter dry and manage drainage to control odour and flies.
- Protect water sources from manure runoff.
- Avoid antibiotic residues by following withdrawal periods.