The fermented and sanitized pee keeps the infesting insects away and improves the yield of the crops: an economic alternative to chemicals.
The Vitali Agricultural Collections for Sahel’s food security could benefit from an inspected and … smelly ally: the human pee left to ferment for a month under the sun has proven to be an effective deterrent to the invasions of weedsas he made the surrender progresses in the fields. This is suggested by the results of a series of experiments conducted in Niger, and described onAmerican Journal of Plant Sciences.
In the earth, a heritage. The bean from the eye (Ungulized vineyard) is a basic food in the semi -arid areas of West Africa, which has a fundamental role in reducing poverty and guaranteeing the food safety of the population. It is nourishing, usable in all its parts (leaves, pods, seeds), improves the soil in which it is grown, resists drought and has an important socio-economic value for local farmers.
Looking for alternatives. Nonetheless, the surrender of the legis’ crops is very low, especially due to the frequent attacks of weeds to which the bean is vulnerable at every stage of its growth. To control these incursions they are used chemical pesticides At rapid effectiveness, which however can cause environmental and health problems, and which are not accessible to all farmers for the high cost.
In part already known. Several studies in various African countries have shown the effectiveness of human pee as fertilizer, given its nitrogen content, phosphorus and potassium. Less investigated is the usefulness of urine as a pesticide, even if its effectiveness is anecdotically reported by farmers. In addition, in other geographical areas other than Sahel, the pee is used in union in spices or ash or in the traps to attract some insects far from the crops, or directly as a insect repellent.
Used in purity. The scientists of the National Institute for Research in Agriculture of the Niger have tested the effectiveness of the Hygiene and fermented human pee (in an airtight container exposed for a month in the sun) on the crops of beans from the eye in different villages. The results were compared with those obtained on sprinkled harvests of chemical pesticides, of natural pesticides obtained from an extract of a local plant or, finally, not treated at all.
Dissuasi from the stench. Even if the fields treated with synthetic pesticides had the least damage to insects, those sprayed with the human pee left in the sun received 20.5 times less infestations Compared to the “control” fields, and have made 1.8 times more abundant.
Further tests will have to clarify the mechanism that removes unwelcome visits, even if the pungent smell of the urine thus obtained is a probable element of disorder. However, the smell does not pass to the cultivated beans, and the fermentation process guarantees the absence of pathogens within the widespread pee on crops.
Within everyone’s reach. If the new experiments confirmed the first results, the pee thus treated could be transformed into a useful tool for farmers, into an area affected by arid soils, with scarce rainfall and frequent harvests of crops. An economic means, easily available and eco-friendly to protect food safety.
