
HomeBiogas 2021 Impact & ESG Report
With a wide portfolio of products, HomeBiogas helps businesses achieve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Criteria, enabling them to demonstrate their commitment to safeguard the environment.
Read MoreManure can become fertilizer, but not all fertilizer contains manure. But this isn’t the only difference between manure and fertilizer. A series of factors differentiate these compounds, from how they impact the environment to what elements they contain. Here’s what you should know.
Manure is decomposed solid waste from animals, especially cows, chickens, and horses, spread on the soil to support plant growth. Manure can be used as the primary material for obtaining compost, fertilizer, and biogas.
The term fertilizer refers to any organic or chemical compounds used to nourish plants, whether it’s made of manure or other organic or inorganic substances.
Manure and fertilizer include primary plant nutrients, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, which are vital for growing healthy plants. They’re also rich in micronutrients and minerals that contribute to keeping plants and soil healthy.
The differences between fertilizer and manure go from the production process to their long-term effects on the environment. Here are some of the most important elements that differentiate manure and fertilizer:
Manure advantages:
Manure disadvantages:
When talking about manure, we’re looking at two primary categories:
Let’s take a closer look at the most common manure types and their applications in gardening.
Chicken manure it has a higher phosphorus content than many other types of animal waste. It contains 3-5% nitrogen, 1.5-3.5% phosphorus, 1.5-3.0 percent potassium, and a significant amount of micronutrients.
Poultry manure helps soil retention, boosts water and nutrient availability, and lowers any dangerous levels of plant parasite (nematodes, fungus, and bacteria) in the soil. It also increases the amount and diversity of soil microorganisms, which is particularly helpful in sandy areas.
Chicken manure is recommended mainly for growing root vegetables, strawberries, and leafy vegetables.
Cow manure increases the diversity of soil bacteria and efficiently regulates the structure of the bacterial community. It’s rich in nutrients like sulfur, calcium, and magnesium and contains about 3% nitrogen, 2% phosphorus, and 1% potassium. However, it includes significant levels of ammonia and potentially harmful microorganisms. As a result, it must be composted before being used in the fields.
When combined with straw and bedding, manure provides a good source of organic matter for the soil, as it also includes a significant amount of carbon.
Cow manure has a balanced composition and can be applied to any plant. It is also ideal for providing structure and promoting aeration to the soil. Moreover, earthworms will thrive in soil that has been amended with cow manure.
Horse manure has a higher nitrogen and nutrient content than cow dung. Moreover, horse waste contains significantly less water than cow manure; therefore, it can include up to twice as much nitrogen when dried.
Horse manure requires composting or aging to kill weed seeds, larvae, and pathogens.
Horse manure is best used for nurturing nitrogen-hungry plants like corn, potatoes, garlic, and lettuce, being also an excellent resource for keeping the grass lawn healthy. It’s not recommended for flowers, tomatoes, or peppers.
Fertilizer advantages:
Fertilizer disadvantages:
Fertilizers can be organic and inorganic:
Inorganic fertilizers can be classified further based on the primary nutrient they provide — nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer, and phosphate fertilizer.
Fertilizers come in three forms: liquid, powder, and granular, and most of them must be diluted in water before usage. Granular fertilizers can also be applied to the soil surface and sink into the soil as you water the garden.
There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, as the need for fertilizer or manure depends on multiple elements. Many factors can influence your decision, from the soil type to how healthy your plants are to your lifestyle.
Chemical fertilizer boosts your plants and provides a quick fix when you notice any issues that require immediate intervention. Depending on your crops, you can easily prepare the right mix to ensure you meet the plants’ needs and create a balanced nutritional cocktail to help them thrive.
On the other hand, manure contains lower amounts of nutrients in quantities you can rarely control. Moreover, it works slowly and releases macro- and micronutrients over time. The advantage is that it will help plants and improve the soil’s physical qualities. Manure lightens soil texture, improves rainwater infiltration, and increases the soil’s ability to store nutrients, making it more productive in the long run.
In some cases, a mix of manure and fertilizers can be the most cost-effective way to boost yield with minimum environmental impact. However, it’s essential to keep track of the amounts and types of substances you add to your crops to prevent overuse.
Moreover, knowing how each of the macronutrients influences plant growth can also be helpful when deciding to use inorganic fertilizer or manure.
Here are some general guidelines:
Manure and inorganic fertilizer can harm crops and pollute the environment in large quantities — the former with less significant impact on soil quality in the long run. They can also harm people who consume the food if applied too close to the harvest period.
Always respect the producer’s recommendations and instructions when using organic or inorganic fertilizer. If you produce manure, you must do your due diligence and learn how composting works and when it’s safe to spread the compounds in the fields. For health and safety reasons, raw animal waste should never get in contact with any food crops.
Manure and fertilizer are essential to obtain high-quality crops and maintain the soil’s characteristics. While there’s no one-size-fits-all recipe to help you decide whether to use one or another, knowing how each impacts your garden can help you make the right choices.
Manure will not always be enough, especially when your plants require a quick fix. On the other hand, not all fertilizers are made equal — only some are environment-friendly and will support both plant growth and soil balance. As long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, adding limited amounts of inorganic fertilizers to your garden is generally safe.
With a wide portfolio of products, HomeBiogas helps businesses achieve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Criteria, enabling them to demonstrate their commitment to safeguard the environment.
Read MoreAt HomeBiogas, we are taking responsibility for our planet together with our customers. They are visionaries, changemakers and inspiring people creating a positive future for us all. We are thankful to our wonderfully courageous customers, and we are proud to share their stories.
Read MoreMost people take hot water, indoor plumbing, and flushing toilets for granted, but things aren’t always that easy. Outside centralized sewers, managing waste and wastewater can be a challenge all year round, and having the right equipment can become a game-changer for homeowners. Off-grid toilets and sanitation systems make waste management easier while providing comfort and sustainable solutions. You can pick from multiple systems, from flush toilets to compost toilets to waterless toilets. This blog post will tell you everything you need to know to make an educated decision for your homestead.
Read MoreWhen a household can’t connect to sewage or wishes to live sustainably, composting toilets (or compost toilets) offer homes sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions to human waste management. But selecting the ideal product isn't always straightforward. A bit of research is needed before buying the best composting toilet for your home, and this blog post can help you get started.
Read MoreRenewable natural gas is improved biogas that can substitute natural gas with a significantly lower environmental impact. It’s obtained from organic waste, whether it comes from municipal solid waste landfills, wastewater treatment plants, livestock farms, food production facilities, or other organic waste management operations.
Read MoreAfter two years of Covid, the hotels are experiencing a revival and all of us are already fantasizing about a pampering vacation that includes tanning at the poolside and a rich buffet. But what happens to all the food that is left in the buffet after we're done piling it up on our plates? The hotel industry is responsible for 37% of the food waste in Israel, this is how the environmental and economic damage can be reduced.
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