Poultry Manure-based Integrated Nutrient Management Enhances Tomato Yield, Postharvest Shelf Life and Economic Profitability in the Peri-urban Zone of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Low soil fertility and high postharvest losses (>40%) remain major constraints to tomato production in Burkina Faso. This study evaluated the effects of integrated nutrient management (INM) combining poultry manure (PM) and reduced fertiliser on tomato growth, yield, postharvest shelf life, and economic profitability in the peri-urban zone of Ouagadougou. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design with six treatments and three replications at Loumbila during the 2024 wet season. Treatments included an absolute control (T0), sole poultry manure (T1), full mineral fertiliser (T2: 300 kg NPK 15-15-15 + 100 kg urea ha⁻¹), and three INM combinations in which urea was partially or totally substituted with PM on an equivalent nitrogen basis (T3–T5). Results showed that treatments T4 (75% PM) and T5 (100% PM) significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, number of branches, and marketable fruit yield, with T5 recording the highest yield (21,330 kg ha⁻¹), representing a 77% increase over the full mineral treatment. Postharvest decay followed a sigmoidal pattern best described by a three-parameter log-logistic model. Treatments T4 and T5 substantially delayed decay progression and extended marketable shelf life by 8–19 days under ambient conditions compared with the mineral-only treatment. Partial budget analysis revealed that T5 generated the highest net benefit (14,033 USD ha⁻¹) and acceptability index (15.44), with marginal rates of return exceeding 3,700%. These economic advantages remained robust under 20% reductions in price or yield. This study shows that substituting urea with poultry manure sustainably boosts tomato yield, shelf life, and farmer income, although multi-season validation is still required.