The effect of composted and non-composted poultry litter on survival and reproduction of <i>Folsomia candida</i>

Abstract

<strong>Purpose</strong> The objective was to evaluate the effect of the application of composted and non-composted poultry litter, as fertilizer in agricultural areas, on the survival and reproduction of the springtails (<em>Folsomia candida</em>) through standardized ecotoxicological tests.<br /> <strong>Methods</strong> The treatments included in the application of composted and non-composted poultry litter on Entisol were in the following doses 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 t ha^-1, for the lethality test, and 0, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 30, 40, 60 t ha^-1for th­­e reproduction test.<br /> <strong>Results</strong> For the composted litter, the LC₅₀value was 76.45 t ha^-1 and for EC_50,it was 17.96 t ha^-1. For the non-composted poultry litter, the values of LC₅₀was 43.12t ha^-1 and EC₅₀value was 19.36 t ha^-1.<br /> <strong>Conclusion</strong> The highest toxicity was observed in the non-composted litter, emphasizing the importance of stabilization of the organic compound before its use as fertilizer.