Manure is the organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture and mostly contains animal feces. There can be other components in manure as well, such as compost and green manure. Manure typically contributes to the fertility of the soil and the total nutrient content of the soil. It can add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. The most common nutrient manure can add to the soil is nitrogen, which is used by soil bacteria, fungi, and other organisms in the soil.
What is Manure?
In modern days, three main classes of manure are used in soil management: animal manure, compost, and green manure. Animal manure is a common type of manure containing feces. The most common forms of animal manure include farmyard manure and farm slurry. Farmyard manure also contains plant material such as straw that was used as bedding for animals. These plant materials also absorb the feces and urine of animals. Manure from different animals has different qualities and compositions, and therefore, their uses are different as well.
What is Compost?
Compost can be described as the decomposed remnants of organic materials and is a type of manure. Generally, compost has a plant origin but can often contain animal dung and bedding material. Therefore, compost is a mixture of different ingredients useful in improving soil fertility. Typically, compost is formed from the decomposing plant and food waste, including recycling organic matter. This decomposition results in a mixture rich in plant nutrients and some beneficial organisms, such as worms and fungal mycelium. Compost can improve soil fertility in gardens, agricultural landscapes, horticulture, urban agriculture, and more.
Key Takeaways
- The key difference between manure and compost is that manure is typically animal dung and is a byproduct of livestock farming, whereas compost is a mixture of various components and is a collection of different waste materials.
- Manure typically contributes to the fertility of the soil and the total nutrient content of the soil, while compost is formed from the decomposing plant and food waste, including recycling organic matter.
- Compost has various benefits, including providing nutrients to crops, acting as a soil conditioner, increasing the content of the humic substance in soil, and introducing new bacterial colonies to the soil to suppress the pathogenic species in the soil.
