Study shows that human urine is an effective agricultural fertilizer

"It is totally possible to use human urine as a fertilizer instead of industrial fertilizer," according to the research group that used urine to cultivate cucumbers, cabbage and tomatoes.

A typical adult urinates about 500 liters a year, enough to fill three standard bathtubs. And despite the gross-out potential, urine is sterile when it leaves the body.

What are the fertilizer ingredients in urine?

Human urine is rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate and potassium (NPK), all key ingredients of commercial fertilizers.

Doesn't Urine Burn Lawns and Plants?

Full strength urine will burn vegetation. To use it as a fertilizer, it needs to be diluted with water using at least a 1:10 ratio.

The general recommendation from the study was to dilute urine to 10-15 parts water to 1 part urine (10:1) for application on plants in the growth stage. Dilute to 30-50 parts water to 1 part urine (30:1) for use on pot plants as they are more sensitive to fertilizers. Withhold the use of urine liquid fertilizer on all food plants at least 2 weeks before harvesting. Apply under fruiting plants, not directly on foliage. Urine older than 24 hours should not be used on plants as the urea turns into ammonia and will burn them.

Does Urine Fertilizer increase infection risk?

Unlike feces (stool) which can contain harmful pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, urine is usually sterile when it leaves the body.

“Up, Down and All-Around” is another way to think about NPK and the numbering system for fertilizers. Your lawn needs nitrogen for the leaves’ color and growth, phosphorous for strong roots, and potassium for overall health. Source: Home Depot.

References:

Human Urine Is Shown to Be an Effective Agricultural Fertilizer: Scientific American http://bit.ly/OP3Uof

Could American households soon be recycling their URINE? How depleting nutrient used in toothpaste and fertilizer can be extracted from our toilets | Mail Online http://buff.ly/1ahVKm4

Fertilizer - The Power of Pee or Urine | Learn How To Garden http://bit.ly/1KqTiu0

Related reading:

All I am saying is.......GIVE PEE A CHANCE! https://buff.ly/2KN9o9N
Soil Feedings https://buff.ly/2J2G5eh

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