Abstract:
Zoo habitats have negative repercussions of high trash generation that is in conflict
with the primary objectives of conservation. Thus, this study aimed to add value to
elephant dung accumulated in zoos, through evaluating its applicability as an element
in soilless media for developing seedling pots, and as a material to make seed balls.
To test the applicability of elephant dung in potting media, the following media were
prepared; P1: elephant dung + wood ash + clay (2:1:1), P2: elephant dung + chicken
manure + clay (2:1:1), P3: elephant dung + sawdust + clay (2:1:1), P4: elephant dung
+ clay (2:1) and P5: only soil as the control media. The experiment was replicated six
times with 30 pots. The water holding capacity, dry weight, and chemical composition
of each potting medium and the seed germination times, and the growth rates of plants
potted in each medium were analyzed (n=6 for each potting medium) and compared
using one-way ANOVA. All the parameters differed significantly across the five-potting
media (P < 0.05). The result revealed that the selected macronutrients were high in
different combinations viz., Nitrate (P3), Phosphate (P2), K, Cu, Zn, and Cd (P1)
compared to soil (P5). P3 showed rapid germination, the lowest dry weight, and the
highest water-holding capacity. Plants potted in P2 showed the highest growth rate. The
usability of elephant dung in seed balls was evaluated by estimating the germination
percentage of seed balls produced by mixing elephant dung and clay at a 2:1 ratio.
The germination percentage of seed balls was measured according to the environmental
conditions, i.e. riverside, forest area, roadside, and control settings (n=25 for each
environmental condition). This study showed that the seed ball approach can be utilized
to restore vegetation at a minimal cost, indicating germination rates of over 52% in all
selected natural environmental conditions.
