Spreading the feces and urine of humans and livestock around the world on fields could potentially yield more nutrients. 10% of the world's cropsNew research shows the need for minerals like nitrogen and potassium is reduced by more than a third.
Transferring the waste to the field is Circular economy in agricultureaccording tofindings Published Wednesday in Nature Sustainability.
However, in addition to reducing the need for elements such as nitrogen (which are primarily produced using fossil fuels), the fecal fertilizer model has significant benefits, including: change the direction of waste Now it flows into rivers and lakes.
“It makes no sense to contaminate the environment, especially water and soil, so that there is not enough fertilizer for agriculture,” Koso Johannes Lehmann, a professor of plant science at Cornell University, said in a statement.
“We need to close the loop on underutilized nutrients, no matter where they come from.”
