BIOFERTILIZING POTENTIAL OF FEATHER HYDROLYSATE PRODUCED BY KERATINOLYTIC BACTERIA ON CULTIVATION OF Zea mays AND Corchorus olitorius

Abstract

Keratin-rich wastes in the form of feathers, hair, nails, and horn are highly available as by-products of agro industrial processing. Keratinases, which are produced by several bacteria that have been isolated from soils and poultry wastes, show potential use in biotechnological processes involving keratin hydrolysis. The aim of this study was evaluate biofertilizing potential of feather hydrolysate generated by keratinolytic bacteria on Zea mays and Corchorus olitorius. Chicken feathers and feather wastes were collected from feather dumpsite in Kure Market Minna, Niger State while soil sample was collected from abattoir waste dump site of Bosso, Minna. One gram (1 g) of soil sample was serially diluted and inoculated in 0.2 mL of the 10-fold dilution aliquot on the minimal medium containing: 2g/L of KH2PO4; 0.05 g/L of MgSO4; 0.1g/L of FeSO4.7H2O; 0.1g/L of CaCO3; 20 g/L of Keratin substrate and 20g/L of agar-agar for the selective growth of isolates, using the pour plate method. The plates were incubated at 37°C for 72 h. Distinct colonies were identified by cultural, morphological, biochemical and molecular characterizations. Three treatments [feather hydrolysate (FH), FH+ bacteria suspension, and FH+ NPK was applied along with positive control (NPK only) and negative control (water only). The treatments were tested on the growth indices for Corchorus olitorius and Zea mays. The isolates were identified as Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain NBRC15717 16S and Bacillus pacificus strain MCCC 1A06182. The highest yield of Zea mays was observed in NPK (61.2), followed by FH and suspension (32), The highest yield weight of Corchorus olitorius was observed in FH only (92.52) and the least in water (47.04). Proximate analysis of Corchorus olitorius and Zea mays revealed the highest moisture, fiber, ash, lipids, carbohydrate contents were highest in FH and NPK except for protein that was highest in FH only. NPK only had the highest height, followed by FH and NPK for Corchorus olitorius and the least in water residues while for Zea mays, NPK only had the highest height followed by FH + suspension and FH only. The result of the study showed that feather hydrolysates, obtained through microbial conversion of chicken feathers, increased growth and biomass yield of cultivated crops compared to a reference fertilizer (urea) and other by-products of the poultry agro-industry.