Micturition muddle
A dairr row produces up to 40 litres of urine daily and this is posing a serious threat to the European countryside of moors, bogs and heaths. Scottish scientists have found that the ammonia-rich urine evaporates and adds to the nitrogen content of the atmosphere. This nitrogen accumulates in the plant tissues and attracts pests like heather beetles. Also, excess nitrogen could lead to a proliferation of nitrogen-loving plants which could take over these fragile ecosystems (New Scientist, Vol 146, No 1970).
The research team found that nitrogen levels over dairy farms were 10 times more than normal.