Birds are generally thought of as creatures of air with little to do on land except picking food and dropping excreta. But eco-conscious communities are now turning to the excrement of these airy creatures as the most valuable organic fertilizer, known as Guano in common terms. While a number of different bird excreta are now considered as guano, that of bats, seals, and seabirds particularly define the classic organic manure that is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous.

Literally meaning ‘the droppings of seabirds’, guano has been known as a fertilizer to humans as early as the 15th century AD. The Incans gathered guano from the Peruvian coast and used it to enrich their soils. They were so conscious to the agricultural value of birds that disturbing birds was punishable by penalties as strict as death. Besides being an invaluable fertilizer, guano has also been used as an important component of gunpowder. It is said that these uses of guano led, at least in part, to the War of the Pacific (1879 – 83) between Chile and the alliance of Peru and Bolivia.

In contemporary farming, guano has regained its importance as the ecological and health hazards of synthetic fertilizers have come to the attention of farming communities. Guano is used for both agricultural (large-scale) and gardening (small-scale) purposes. Besides enriching the soil with phosphorus, nitrates, and potassium, guano also acts as a benign, natural fungicide and is effective in controlling harmful nematodes. Using guano also activates the compost, owing to the action of microbes that decompose it.

Today, the Pacific islands remain the leading source of guano, though the best quality of guano is one mined in arid regions since rain dissolves the nitrogen component of the guano deposits. Guano is also available at gardening stores and a number of verities come packed with specific components printed on the labels. However, guano mining has been of concern lately to eco-friendly groups since it disturbs the bat colonies that produce it in caves. Bats are sensitive creatures and even slight disturbances make them fret, resulting in their abandonment of their dwelling or even starving to death in stress. This affects further production of fresh guano.

As the current sources of phosphorous in natural soils are estimated to last no longer than another 30 years, guano is just the ideal fertilizer which has no harmful effects on the environment and comes from the air as a natural gift from birds for sustaining the fertility of our planet.

farmcommunities.com