manure

Soil scientists increasingly point to exudates from living plant roots, which feed microbes around the root zone, as the dominant source of soil organic matter and the primary driver of soil biology. This reframes the role of traditional inputs such as compost and manure, suggesting gardeners and farmers should focus on keeping living roots in the ground to build healthy soil.

Russian gardening outlets are advising that mustard, a common autumn green manure (siderat), loses effectiveness when sown in October, and recommending hardier winter green manures for greenhouses instead. Sideraty — cover crops grown to enrich soil rather than for harvest — are a seasonal topic as gardeners prepare beds before frost, with advice circulating on which crops protect and fertilise soil over winter.

Satellites are being used to detect farmers spreading manure on fields during winter, a practice that can send nutrients running off into waterways when the ground is frozen. The approach, described as a 'poop patrol' from orbit, gives regulators and researchers a new way to monitor agricultural runoff. It highlights growing use of satellite imagery to enforce environmental rules.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is assessing the environmental impact of a proposed dairy feedlot in Morrison County, central Minnesota. The review is expected to examine potential effects on water quality, manure management and surrounding land use. Local outlets report the proposal is drawing attention from residents concerned about large-scale livestock operations in the rural area.

A new guide published via Morning Ag Clips explains how farms can diversify by turning compost and manure into retail products. It covers processing, packaging and selling manure-based soil amendments directly to consumers, offering farmers an additional revenue stream from materials they already produce.

Veganic agriculture — farming that excludes not only synthetic chemicals but also animal inputs like manure and blood meal — is being featured at Fruit Attraction 2026, the major fruit and vegetable trade fair. The spotlight on biology-based growing methods signals growing commercial interest in animal-free crop production among growers, suppliers and retailers tracking the next wave of sustainable food standards.