Urine is found to grow big cabbages

William Atkins
Sunday, 14 October 2007 23:11

Science - Climate

Kuopio, Finland researchers have discovered that human urine is better than commercial fertilizers in growing bigger cabbages.

The researchers performed an experiment where they grew cabbages with human urine (that had first been stored for six months). They also compared it with cabbages grown with commonly used fertilizer and with no fertilizer additives.

Their results found that urine produced cabbages that were larger than those grown with traditional fertilizer and those grown with no added fertilizer. They also found the cabbages contained fewer germs when grown with urine.

Human urine contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, just like regular fertilizers.

The researchers calculated that urine output of one average human could effectively fertilize up to a 970-square-foot (90-square-meter) plot of land for one year. When done so, the researchrs found that the urine-fertilized plot produced 140 pounds (64 kilograms) more of cabbages than the plot when it was fertilized with traditional fertilizers.

The results of the researchers will be found in a future issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.