Pee-powered plants? Soil bacteria say no problem

In a breakthrough that might make you rethink your bathroom habits, scientists have found that soil bacteria are as unfazed by human urine as they are by synthetic fertilizers.

Yes, you heard that right: Recycling your bodily fluids could soon be a sustainable way to fertilize crops. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Birmingham and L’Institut Agro Montpellier, suggests that when it comes to pee, the soil shrugs it off.

The research team applied year-old stored urine to soil and discovered that even in high doses, it hardly ruffled any microbial feathers. Soil bacteria seemed pretty chill about the whole thing, showing minimal changes in pH or salinity — proving that your bathroom breaks might be more valuable than you think.

However, the study did find that pee-powered plants might release more nitrogen oxides compared to their synthetic fertilizer-fed counterparts. Translation? Your pee might come with a slight side effect: more gas. But hey, no one said a fertilization revolution would be entirely odor-free.

The findings, published in Applied Soil Ecology, suggest that further research is needed to explore the long-term impact of pee-fertilizing — especially when it comes to potential emissions and salty soils. Still, the results are encouraging. According to co-author Manon Rumeau, from the University of Birmingham, “Our research shows that recycling human urine could boost agricultural sustainability, reduce wastewater pollution, and cut down on synthetic fertilizer use. And the best part? Stored urine doesn’t seem to mess with the soil microbiome.”

Before you rush off to collect your contribution to the garden, remember that fresh urine is 95 percent water, with the other 5 percent made up of nutrients like urea and salts that can help plants grow. And, thankfully, after being stored for a year, urine’s microbiome is mostly neutralized, so your crops won’t have to deal with any unwanted bathroom buddies.

For the study, spinach crops were given two doses of aged urine, then compared with plants fed synthetic fertilizers and — perhaps a little less excitingly — water. Over 12 months of storage, the urine had lost most of its microbiome, leaving behind only a few straggling bacteria, plus some handy ammonia that’s good for fighting off pathogens. In the end, soil bacterial communities remained virtually unaffected by their unexpected golden shower, with only 3 percent of organisms showing any signs of being bothered. Even the high salt content in urine barely made a dent in the bacterial scene.

So, next time you feel nature calling, just remember — you might be sitting on a potential farm-to-toilet breakthrough.