Seabird and Bat Guano

Bat Guano 9-3-1 Indonesian (PDF)

Bat Guano 0-13-0 Philippines (PDF)

Guano is the accumulated excrement of seabirds and bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to its exceptionally high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Bird guano has high levels of nutrients like nitrate and ammonium. By mass, it is 8–21% nitrogen; the nitrogen content is about 80% uric acid, 10% protein, 7% ammonia, and 0.5% nitrate. Some of bird guano’s most common chemical elements are phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. It may react with the rocky substrate of islands like basalt to form authigenic, phosphatic minerals including taranakite and leucophosphite. When freshly excreted, the guano of insectivorous bats consists of fine particles of insect exoskeleton, which are largely composed of chitin. Elements found in large concentrations include carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus.

A prized source of N-P-K. Guanos — the excrement from birds and bats — are among nature’s best! Particularly high in nitrogen and phosphorus, guano fertilizers are excellent for use around fruiting and flowering plants.

The term “Guano” applies to natural mineral deposits consisting of excrements, eggshells and carcasses of dead seabirds found in almost rainless, hot-dry climatic regions and corresponding fertilizers. Guanos are classified according to age, genesis, geographical origin and chemical composition. Main types are nitrogen-and phosphate Guanos. Phosphate Guanos require a calcareous subsoil for the development, while nitrogen Guanos are formed only under the special climatic conditions of the subtropical-edge tropical high pressure belt with coastal deserts. 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. Only a small quantity is still exported to Europe as additive to organic/mineral fertilizers, more for image boosting than for effect.