How to Make Use of Cow Dung as Manure
In the then Sokoto Caliphate, which comprises of states like Sokoto, Kebbi Katsina, Zamfara all located in Nigeria. Farmers are of the habit of asking herders to take their cattles, goats and sheeps to an open field that is intended to be cultivated in six months time. After the days movement, the livestock's are taken to the open to relax for the day. During the relaxation process, the cattles would pass out their dung all over the farm land. This process will continue for about six months before the planting season begins.
After the six months, the farm land was already fertilized for agricultural production. It should be noted that the farmers spent nothing for the farm land to be fertilized. At the end of the harvesting period, you would see greater yield. In 1975, the Vice Chancellor of the Usman Dan Fodio University visited the then Sultan of Sokoto and suggested to include Agricultural production into the curriculum of the university. The Vice Chancellor was asked what will be taught at the Faculty of Agriculture and he responded by saying that research will be made in the area of manure or fertilizer production. The Sultan asked him who will teach the Caliphate how to produce fertilizer. This statement refers to the use of cow dung in fertilization of farm land for a better yield in the agricultural sector.
The Implications of Using Chemical Based Fertilizer for Agricultural Production
Chemicals have several implications to both plants and animals. The crops production with certain chemical fertilizer are harmful to the human health. In the food chain procedures; plant will be eaten by animals and man, while man will eat the animals. If agricultural production is not done with natural manure and less use of chemical insecticides, the life cycle of man will continually reduce. Some of the Impacts include cancer of various kinds, heart and liver diseases and there likes.
Conclusion
Although using the natural means of fertilizing the farm land is outdated due to the demand of food production the world over, but for better health and low mortality rate, we should consider the used of nature fertilizer (animal dung) for crop production than the chemical fertilizers.
