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What is guano worth?
This excrement (called guano) has been used as organic fertilizer since ancient times and is still collected and used in countries like Peru and Chile. Those two countries alone collected 27,000 tons of guano in 2018, which sold for $12.2 million USD.
When was guano first used as fertilizer?
The most significant nitrogen Guano is the Peru-Guano, which has been used over 2000 years as agricultural fertilizer in Peru. In Europe the application of Guano as fertilizer emerged in the 1840 as “Guano boom” and lasted until the early twentieth century when Guano was replaced by industrial manufactured fertilizers.
Why is guano collected?
Guano collection began generations ago, when the abbot then in charge of the temple asked villagers to help clean the cave. At $6 a bucket, the guano, rich in chemicals such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, brings in the bulk of the temple’s earnings from farmers keen to boost crops and improve the taste of fruit.
How much guano does a bat produce?
I have seen that many times. Each bat poops 20-30 times per day (they eat a lot!) and you can do the math. 25 fecal pellets x 365 days = over 9000 bat poops per year per bat. If you have a large colony, the droppings can accumulate.
What was guano and what was the impact of its production?
As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to its exceptionally high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium: key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a lesser extent, sought for the production of gunpowder and other explosive materials.
Who eats guano?
Bats
Bats are hunted, eaten, and used for medicine and natural insect control. Their excrement (guano) is used as fertilizer (10, 12–14). Bat guano mining is common globally, especially in countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean and East Asian countries (including Thailand).
Why does bat poop have a special name?
Guano (Spanish from Quechua: wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds and bats. Unsustainable guano mining in caves alters cave shape, causing bats to abandon the roost. Guano is ecologically important due to its role in dispersing nutrients.
What was guano used for in the 1800s?
Any guano mined had to be sold to American farmers as fertilizer at a reasonable price. Guano, or seabird excrement, was at the time the finest natural fertilizer, and farmers needed it to replenish the nutrients in their fields and increase their crop yield.