Quality assessment of poultry manure compost: focus on organic amendment and bioremediation roles toward sustainable agriculture

Intensification of poultry and livestock activities around the globe leads to the production of a huge amount of organic waste, primarily poultry manure. These biowastes, largely composed of organic materials, can be either a valuable resource or an environmental pollutant threatening precious natural resources. The valorization of these biowastes through composting could be an effective and efficient way to mitigate environmental hazards and restore soil fertility. This review aims to: sum up the basic concepts of composting techniques, how to successfully initiate the process, and assess the quality of the end product in terms of maturity and sanitation. The second part highlights the role of composts as soil organic amendments, restituting organic matter to agricultural land to overcome fertility depletion and sustain productivity. The third section examines the results of the most recent research on bioremediation using composting techniques. Special attention has been given to assessing physico-chemical and biological compost quality through various criteria such as C/N ratio, nitrogen form, humic compounds content, and pathogen destruction. A comprehensive literature search following the PRISMA methodology was conducted, ensuring the inclusion of studies based on relevance, methodological rigor, and peer-reviewed status. Compost products are, therefore, considered promising organic amendments for improving soil fertility and enhancing both physico-chemical and biological properties, in addition to their role in pollutant bioremediation. This review concludes that composting techniques could play a key role in preventing pollution and soil fertility depletion, thereby ensuring sustainable agriculture. Future research should focus on optimizing composting processes for various biowastes, exploring the long-term effects of compost application on soil health and crop productivity, and investigating the potential for integrating composting with other sustainable waste management practices.