PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

The aerobic composting of chicken manure (CM) has developed through continuous research and experimentation to optimise compost quality while concurrently improving environmental safety and public perception. Successful composting often requires a suitable carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N) in a balanced combination of feedstock and bulking agent for effective microbial degradation. Despite numerous trials using different bulking agents, a comprehensive review of the aspect of practicality and effectiveness on physicochemical quality parameters remains unclear in current studies. Hence, this study investigates the influence of distinct bulking agent categories and composting methods of CM on key physicochemical parameters, which include C/N, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrogen, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), bulk density (BD), moisture content (MC) and composting duration (CD). Plant-derived materials and livestock manure serve as the primary bulking agents, which significantly affect C/N, EC, K, BD and CD. The windrow method provided better retention of P and K contents, while the in-vessel method improved C/N, EC, BD, MC and CD. These reviews highlight the importance of selecting suitable bulking agents and composting methods, as their interactions directly influence CM compost quality.