Researchers in Finland are reporting successful use of an unlikely fertilizer for farm fields that is inexpensive, abundantly available, and undeniably organic — human urine.
Despite the ‘yuk’ factor, urine from healthy individuals is virtually sterile, free of bacteria or viruses. Naturally rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, urine has been used as fertilizer since ancient times.
In the new study, Surendra K. Pradhan and colleagues collected human urine from private homes and used it to fertilize cabbage crops. Then they compared the urine-fertilized crops with those grown with conventional industrial fertilizer and no fertilizer.
The analysis showed that growth and biomass were slightly higher with urine than with conventional fertilizer.
I’ll bet results were better than they would have been even 100 years ago. There has to be higher levels of useful nutrients in our urine, nowadays just because of a generally more expansive, more inclusive, diet.
What do they mean by “unlikely”? Human urine and feces has been used as fertilizer for ages. Medieval Japan used it extensively since they didn’t have much livestock to depend upon.
Anyone that owns a big dog and has a lawn knows that this article is highly suspicious.
I think the ‘yuk’ factor is a North American thing. You should see what they put into rice paddies.
Wow what a great idea.. I wonder if it would help to take certain vitamins and minerals.. a little extra potassium maybe?
Think I’ll grow a special tomato plant just for my mother in law next spring.
My aren’t these tomatos plump and juicy..
Go Green!!!
Can you imagine the stench from these farms? Brilliant concept. Turning the USA into Mexico or India…another step.
# 6 As if the artificial fertilizers don’t stink. Just drive along I-5 through NorCal and Oregon in spring to get an idea.
#6
That’s not a marijuana plant there, is it? If it is, the plant itself might help ameliorate the odor. Or so I’ve heard.
Why go through the extra step of pouring it on crops?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVsWxooh9OQ
Human shit is even better, and its quite easy to compost and use safely….
I want a billion or so dollars for a study to determine that human beings exhale carbon dioxide which plants find useful.
This study is about a 9.5 on the duh meter. But perhaps that’s what happens when you spend too much time in a sauna.
8, that’s a tomato plant.
10…I don’t want to know why you know that…
Once in England it was the law to keep urine until it was collected by the piss man. It was used as a nitrate source for black powder.
Well, give the high nutrient value in urine, according to the Finish, maybe they will want to bottle it and sell it as a new energy drink. They can call it Yurine.
I would think that our current urine quality is worse due to all the processed food and chemicals we ingest.
The Romans collected it at wash centers for boiling down to ammonia concentrate for washing clothes.
The Chinese have collected human urine for use as a fertiliser for millenia – and they still do.
I think we should try to use sport drinks for our crops… It’s got electrolights!!
OK,
read it,
HEALTHY persons, ONLY…
Same as computers, Garbage in, Garbage OUT…
If you arent eating healthy foods, Then you AINT getting healthy OUTPUT.
#16, they call it ‘night water’
make that #18
“Surendra K. Pradhan and colleagues collected human urine from private homes ”
There’s a job listing to put on careers.com “Urine Collector”
#6
Just because you can afford lettuce irrigated with Evian and fertilized with truffle shavings it doesn’t mean the rest of the world can.
24,
It wouldnt grow very well..
Evian is filtered and has nothing in it, as MOST water should.
Truffles are MOLD, and I dont think you want that on your plants either..
Mind you, I was making a point.
It does depend on the crop though. The more acidic the fruit or vegetable, the more it benefits from a bit of urine. You ask any older Greek or Italian immigrant and they will tell you that you get good crops on your citrus if you pee under the trees every so often. I think its great when some of the old aphorisms get scientifically proven.
and… who gets to certify that the people who are “pissing for food” are indeed healthy?
I wanna know up front so that if/when I get sick I’ll know whom to sue
#13…Olo Baggins…..My Mom’s family is from a small town in a rural county in east central Ohio. We go there for family stuff almost every year. The area is noted for it’s fantastic Big Boy tomato’s and white sweet corn(both called *Ohio River Corn or Tomato’s)….the secret ingrediant is……..septic tank overflow for fertilizer. I was totally grossed out by this news…..never looked at a tomato the same since. 🙂
#16…Elwood….I tend to agree with you….most people’s diet’s in this country suck big time.
So what I’ve been doing for years is okay? I’m ahead of my time, looks like.
#19 – What’s the name of the movie? I remember seeing it but I don’t recall the name. It was like a train wreck, I couldn’t turn away it was so horrible but….uuggh…what was I saying….oh yeah…uggh..It’s got electrolytes!
John, does this peeagra company have a pooagra product 🙂 ?