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I've wondered if it's a good/awful idea to use the widely used food irradiation tech [1] on manure to kill the microorganisms that can cause disease, while keep

I've wondered if it's a good/awful idea to use the widely used food irradiation tech [1] on manure to kill the microorganisms that can cause disease, while keeping the bioavailable nutrients intact, just like how radiation kills bacteria in food without affecting its taste. It's also very low energy as, unlike electro-shocking, the radiation sources are "always on". [1] https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/food-irradiation.html https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/food-irradiatio...

colechristensen 3y ago
Feces ... is microorganisms, mostly bacteria. It is mostly correct to say poo is made up of bacteria. Lots of kinds, lots of species. Soil is likewise alive. If you kill everything you take a competitive ecosystem of many species and leave raw materials for the next, most invasive colonizer which is often more likely to cause disease. Sterilizing manure is likewise pointless unless kept in a sealed container, once you expose it to the world it's going to get something alive in it real quick. To prevent disease you really need to do the opposite, let it ferment longer to allow the various waves of decomposers access to break down and metabolize as much as possible to get the resulting material further away from what it would be like inside a living body as the more different environments are, the less likely species will be able to thrive in both environments. (this is why fermenting pickles works, microbes that find salty veggies tasty won't find you tasty because you're not nearly so salty or acidic) You do sterilize manure as mushroom culture to prevent competition with the fungi, but that is done in quite controlled environments.
NL807 3y ago
It's a bad idea in general, because a healthy sustainable soil is more than just available nutrients. Good soils also have micro-organisms that break down organic matter which also releases more nutrients, introduces air into soil, some even have symbiotic relationship with plant roots. Also, you don't put raw manure directly into soils. You need to compost them first for at least 6 months. That alone breaks down and kills harmful organisms.
- lukas099 3y ago
  As long as there is still a favorable environment for microbes they will repopulate that environment quickly.
didntknowya 3y ago
there are many more beneficial bacteria in the environment than disease causing ones. wiping them all out may decrease some disease incidence but prob cause more issues like allergy/eczema etc.
didntknowya 3y ago
also sun exposure is already one of the most potent UV radiation with anti-bacterial activity for the outdoors

colechristensen 3y ago

Feces ... is microorganisms, mostly bacteria. It is mostly correct to say poo is made up of bacteria. Lots of kinds, lots of species. Soil is likewise alive. If you kill everything you take a competitive ecosystem of many species and leave raw materials for the next, most invasive colonizer which is often more likely to cause disease. Sterilizing manure is likewise pointless unless kept in a sealed container, once you expose it to the world it's going to get something alive in it real quick. To prevent disease you really need to do the opposite, let it ferment longer to allow the various waves of decomposers access to break down and metabolize as much as possible to get the resulting material further away from what it would be like inside a living body as the more different environments are, the less likely species will be able to thrive in both environments. (this is why fermenting pickles works, microbes that find salty veggies tasty won't find you tasty because you're not nearly so salty or acidic) You do sterilize manure as mushroom culture to prevent competition with the fungi, but that is done in quite controlled environments.

NL807 3y ago

It's a bad idea in general, because a healthy sustainable soil is more than just available nutrients. Good soils also have micro-organisms that break down organic matter which also releases more nutrients, introduces air into soil, some even have symbiotic relationship with plant roots. Also, you don't put raw manure directly into soils. You need to compost them first for at least 6 months. That alone breaks down and kills harmful organisms.

lukas099 3y ago
As long as there is still a favorable environment for microbes they will repopulate that environment quickly.

didntknowya 3y ago

there are many more beneficial bacteria in the environment than disease causing ones. wiping them all out may decrease some disease incidence but prob cause more issues like allergy/eczema etc.

didntknowya 3y ago

also sun exposure is already one of the most potent UV radiation with anti-bacterial activity for the outdoors