Animal manure is often a mixture of animal's feces and bedding straw, as in this example from a stable. A stable is a Building in which Livestock, especially Horses are kept

Manure is organic matter used as fertilizer in agriculture. Organic matter (or organic material) is Matter that has come from a once-living Organism; is capable of Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen that is trapped by bacteria in the soil. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Higher organisms then feed on the fungi and bacteria in a chain of life that comprises the soil food web. A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ The soil food web is the community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil

The term "manure" was used for inorganic fertilizers in the past, but this usage is now very rare. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant ^[1]

Etymology

The word manure came from Middle English "manuren" meaning "to cultivate land," and initially from French "main-oeuvre" = "hand work" alluding to the work which involved manuring land. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people

Types

There are two main classes of manures in soil management: green manures and animal manures. Soil, often typeset as SOiL, is a four piece rock band from Chicago Illinois United States founded by Shaun Glass Tom Schofield Tim King and Adam Zadel In Agriculture, a green manure is a type of Cover crop grown primarily to add Nutrients and Organic matter to the Soil. Compost is distinguished from manure in that it is the decomposed remnants of organic materials (which may, nevertheless, include manure). Compost (ˈkɒmpɒst or US /ˈkɒmpoʊst/ also known as brown manure is the aerobically decomposed remnants of Organic matter.

Most animal manure is feces — excrement of plant-eating mammals (herbivores) and poultry — or plant material (often straw) which has been used as bedding for animals and thus is heavily contaminated with their feces and urine. Feces, faeces, or fæces (see spelling differences) is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the Anus Excretion is the process of eliminating waste products of Metabolism and other non-useful materials Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell Poultry is the category of Domesticated Birds which some humans keep for the purpose of collecting their eggs, or kill for their Meat and/or Urine is a liquid waste product of the body secreted by the Kidneys by a process of filtration from Blood and Excreted through the Urethra.

Green manures are crops grown for the express purpose of plowing them under. In Agriculture, a green manure is a type of Cover crop grown primarily to add Nutrients and Organic matter to the Soil. The plough ( American spelling plow; both plaʊ is a Tool used in Farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed In so doing, fertility is increased through the nutrients and organic matter that are returned to the soil. Leguminous crops, such as clover, also "fix" nitrogen through rhizobia bacteria in specialized nodes in the root structure. A legume is a Plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae or a Fruit of these specific plants Rhizobia (from the Greek words rhiza = root and bios = Life are Soil bacteria that fix Nitrogen ( Diazotrophy Root nodules occur on the roots of plants that associate with Vigna bacteria.

Other types of plant matter used as manure or fertilizer include: the contents of the rumens of slaughtered ruminants; spent hops left over from making beer. The rumen, also known as a paunch, forms the larger part of the Reticulorumen, which is the first chamber in the Alimentary canal of Ruminant Physiologically a ruminant is a Mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach known Hops are the female Flower cones of the hop plant ( Humulus lupulus) Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea

Manure on a wall

Uses of manure

Dung cakes being prepared for fuel on the Île-de-Bréhat, Brittany, c. Île-de-Bréhat (Enez Vriad is an Island located near Paimpol, a mile off the northern coast of Bretagne. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into 1900

Manure has been used for centuries as a fertilizer for farming, as it is rich in nitrogen and other nutrients which facilitate the growth of plants. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 Liquid manure from pig/hog operations is usually knifed (injected) directly into the soil to reduce the unpleasant odors. Manure from hogs and cattle is spread on fields using a Manure spreader. Due to the relatively lower level of proteins in grasses, which herbivores eat, cattle manure has a milder smell than the dung of carnivores — for example, elephant dung is practically odorless. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell However, due to the quantity of manure applied to fields, odor can be a problem in some agricultural regions. Poultry droppings are harmful to plants when fresh but after a period of composting are valuable fertilizers. Compost (ˈkɒmpɒst or US /ˈkɒmpoʊst/ also known as brown manure is the aerobically decomposed remnants of Organic matter.

Cow dung cakes set out for drying in a village in Punjab, India

The dried manure of animals has been used as fuel throughout history. Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. Cow dung is the Waste of bovine animal species These species include domestic Cattle ("cows" Bison ("buffalo" Fuel is any material that is burned or altered in order to obtain energy Dried manure (usually known as dung) of cow was, and still is, an important fuel source in countries such as India, while camel dung may be used in treeless regions such as deserts. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Camels are Even-toed ungulates within the Genus Camelus. The Dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump and the On the Oregon Trail, pioneering families collected large quantities of "buffalo chips" in lieu of scarce firewood. Pioneers traveled across the Oregon Trail, one of the main overland migration routes on the North American Continent, in wagons in order to settle new parts of the It has been used for many purposes, in cooking fires and to combat the cold desert nights. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation.

Another use of manure is to make paper, this has been done with dung from elephants where it is a small industry in Africa and Asia, and also horses, llamas, and kangaroos. Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea. The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. The llama ( Lama glama) is a South American Camelid, widely used as a Pack animal by the Incas and other natives of the Andes A kangaroo is a Marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods meaning 'large foot' Other than the llama, these animals are not ruminants and thus tend to pass plant fibres undigested in their dung. Physiologically a ruminant is a Mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first stomach known

Precautions

Manure generates heat as it decomposes, and it is not unheard of for manure to ignite spontaneously should it be stored in a massive pile. In Physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is Energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in Temperature Spontaneous combustion is a type of Combustion which occurs without an external ignition source Once such a large pile of manure is burning, it will foul the air over a very large area and require considerable effort to extinguish. Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Large feedlots must therefore take care to ensure that piles of fresh manure (faeces) do not get excessively large. A feedlot or feedyard is a type of Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO (also known as " Factory farming " which is used for finishing livestock There is no serious risk of spontaneous combustion in smaller operations.

There is also a risk of insects carrying feces to food and water supplies, making them unsuitable for human consumption.

Livestock antibiotics and hormones

In 2007, a University of Minnesota study ^[2] indicated that foods such as corn, lettuce and potatoes have been found to accumulate antibiotics from soils spread with animal manure that contains these drugs, and organic foods are most likely to contain these drugs because manure is often the main source of crop nutrients for organic food production.

See also

• Album graecum
• Anaerobic digestion
• Biofuel
• Biomass
• Cow dung
• Ecological sanitation

Notes

Further reading

• Anderson, S. , and F. Ertug-Yaras. (1998. ). "Fuel fodder and faeces: an ethnographic and botanical study of dung fuel use in central Anatolia. ". Environmental Archaeology 1: 99-109.  
• Charles, M. P. (1998. ). "Fodder from dung: the recognition and interpretation of dung derived plant material from archaeological sites". Environmental Archaeology 1: 111-122.  
• Fenton, Alexander (1985). "A fuel of necessity: animal manure". Alexander Fenton The Shape of the Past. Essays in Scottish Ethnology: 96-111, Edinburgh: John Donald.  
• Miller, N. F. (1984. ). "The use of dung as fuel: an ethnographic example and an archaeological application". Paléorient 10: 71-79.  
• Winterhalder, B. , R. Larsen, and R. B. Thomas. (1974. ). "Dung as an essential resource in a highland Peruvian community". Human Ecology 2: 89-104.