Utilization of poultry litter as organic fertilizer or bio-fuel

The poultry industry is one of the fastest growing agro-based industry, in Turkey. However, a major problem facing the poultry industry is the large scale accumulation of wastes including manure and litter which may pose disposal and pollution problems. There is urgent need for environmentally and economically sustainable management technologies. In raw form, poultry litter has certain draw backs for both bio-fuel production and organic-fertilizer especially due to the high moisture content and low density. Therefore, most of the litter produced by the poultry industry is currently applied to agricultural land in places of production as a fertilizer and soil amendment. This study examines the composition of poultry litter in terms of nutrient content and environmental contaminants, its value as a nutrient source, soil amendment and fuel source, and cost-effective innovative technologies for improving its value.