Feces as fertilizer? (growing, manure, cat, tomatoes)

[Zelpha]

What is your green-thumb opinion regarding the use of animal or human feces as fertilizer?

When animals eat plants (such as tomatoes), then excrete the seeds, that's nature's intended fertilizer for growing more tomatoes, right? That's part of our symbiotic relationship with plants: we eat them, then excrete the seeds in nature to propagate more plants to eat, right?

In modern times however we've learned that feces is a biohazard due to harmful bacteria it contains.

So how can plants be safe to eat if they were fertilized by feces which science has discovered to be biohazardous?

On the other hand, there are barns & farms where people are accustomed to the neverending smell of horse droppings. With feces all over the place in environments like that, how could it be considered a biohazard?

What is your expert green-thumb opinion regarding the use of animal or human feces as fertilizer?

My layperson's opinion is that feces may be nature's perfect fertilizer but we prefer not to use it because of the smell & stigma & knowledge that poor sanitation = disease.

But I'm still curious, if feces causes diseases, how can it be nature's intended fertilizer for edible plants?

How can feces be good for the soil while at the same time it's bad for lakes & rivers where it causes cholera & dysentery? Does the soil absorb & process the bad bacteria away in order for its plants to be edible?

[LIcenter]

Pretty simple. We eat meat. Think about it.

[carnivalday]

Using manure and compost as nutrient sources for fruit and vegetable crops

[southwest88]

There's very little waste in nature - everything gets reused, by something, somewhere. That said, I don't think you can reasonably talk about nature's intent, unless you're referring to God's hand behind natural processes, or some similar formulation. Some seeds pass through animal digestive processes without harm - just as some pinecones require fire to open & release their seeds.


& of course hybrid corn & rice are manipulated in labs around the World. Those don't pass through human guts but once, & they're gene-spliced to not produce worthwhile seed in any event. That's one of the World agricultural arguments going on - if we totally rely upon hybrids for our plant food, then we're essentially @ the mercy of the big Agra outfits.


Nightsoil used to be a staple of rice paddies in Asia - & may still be, as synthetic fertilizers are more cumbersome & divert natural gas production, & cost something, as opposed to collecting nightsoil. Yah, human nightsoil may contain various bacteria, viruses, even drug residues - the latter a cost of human progress, I suppose.


Nightsoil can be treated to kill bacteria & some viruses, the heavy metals can be settled out. Not sure about drug residues, that seems to be a problem. Maybe under reverse osmosis filtration? It's an issue we'll have to solve soon, if we're going to filter graywater up to drinkable standards. Feces & solids can be filtered out - although I'm sure it's not a pleasant task.


Yah animal manure is used in the US - mostly in the Midwest, from what I know - corn & other crops, @ a guess. For human nightsoil in the US - other than processed & sold by municipal sewage treatment plants - you'd need permits & such from the local health office, I'd imagine. & even then, the neighbors would likely raise a stink.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by carnivalday

Using manure and compost as nutrient sources for fruit and vegetable crops

I didn't see any mention of human waste in that article.

[Heidi60]

I wouldn't do it.

[luv4horses]

When solid waste is composted, "good" bacteria degrade the objectionable organic components, including any other bacteria. So composted horse, cow, or goat manure is great fertilizer. The heat of composting even kills off the weed seeds. Grazing animals only eat plants, and we do not have diseases in common with them. So even if the manure is merely broken up (by birds or insects) it will not harm us when used as a fertilizer on plants we eventually eat.

Human manure is more worrisome because the composting needs to be perfect and complete to degrade any disease organisms. There is also a problem with concentrating certain heavy metals in human waste, which is bad for the environment when spread on fields or crops. So that is rarely done as it is more difficult and requires careful monitoring.

[Zelpha]

Originally Posted by carnivalday

Using manure and compost as nutrient sources for fruit and vegetable crops

Thanks everyone for your input. That article went into the chemical technicalities of ideal fertilizers for different circumstances.

I learned that using manure as fertilizer requires proper chemical composition & balance.

People learn to use nature's benefits & avoid the dangers by finding balance

[Joe33]

Never use feces from meat eating animals for fertilizer. It is full of all sorts of proteins and bacteria that is not broken down by composting.
I use tons of chicken and rabbit poop for fertilizer. Its great.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

I've read that the manure from herbivores is good to use as a fertilizer...basically, rabbit poop or guinea pig poop is okay in the garden or added to the compost pile, but dog or cat poop is not safe.