Development of a Soilless Potting Media Using Elephant Dung and its Applications

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.