Effect of season, soil fauna and water content on the decomposition of cattle dung pats

Experiments were carried out with artificially-placed, cattle dung pats to determine the effects of season, soil fauna and water on their disappearance. The method involved processing whole pats so as to overcome problems due to the existence of distinctly different zones within the mass of dung. Weight loss measurements were used to measure the loss of dung. The organic matter, nitrogen and mineral ion contents of the dung were measured to determine if qualitative changes occurred in the faeces during decomposition. Dung pats set up in early autumn disappeared more rapidly than pats put out in spring. In both seasons the most rapid changes occurred when the pats were subject to irrigation as well as the natural rainfall. By contrast, pats covered for the duration of the experiments suffered the smallest dry wt losses and minimal changes in all the other parameters which were measured. No differences were observed in the rate of change in pats placed on a fine mesh netting, which excluded earthworms and other large soil invertebrates, and pats which were placed on a large mesh netting. Leaching of mineral ions from the dung was only significant when the pats were also losing substantial amounts of dry matter. These data are discussed in relation to patterns of cattle dung decay elsewhere in the world.