Excreta are a rich source of essential plant nutrients and organic matter that can be recycled and reused as
fertilizer-cum-soil conditioner – an effect not shared by chemical fertilizers and of need in tropical soils.
Decomposed excreta improve soil structure, increase water-holding capacity, reduce pests and diseases, and
neutralize soil toxins and heavy metals. However, its application has been constrained due to the challenges of
handling and transportation over long distances. Within this project, it was hypothesized that converting fecal
sludge into sanitized fertilizer pellets would help to address the previously mentioned challenges while
enhancing agricultural productivity and contributing to the reduction in environmental and health risk of wastes.
To match the expressed product requirements, which varied between cropping systems, the nutrient value was
also modified in some cases through blending with inorganic fertilizers, thereby ensuring support for different
crop nutrient demands.