Chapter 4
Cattle Dung Manure Microbiota
as a Substitute for Mineral Nutrients
and Growth Management Practices
in Plants
Sandhya Dhiman, Sandeep Kumar, Nitin Baliyan, Shrivardhan Dheeman,
and Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari
Abstract Minerals are ubiquitous and found in two forms “macronutrients and
micronutrients” in soil. To meet out their requirements to crops. Cow dung is high in
organic materials rich in nutrients and contains (3-2-1 NPK) besides rich in ammonia.
On the other hand, dung and manure is the source of potentially beneficial bacteria
used as a rich fertilizer and produce biogas which is eco-friendly and an alternative
to fossil fuels. Cow dung has been used in various forms for centuries, like fires, for
heating, cooking. Hindu rituals performed during popular festivals. A diverse group
of microbes inhabiting in dung mainly bacteria has multiple roles such as plant growth
promotion and protection from diseases in plants. The addition of dung corroborates nutrients, micronutrients, and organic matter availability to soil and favors
growth/activity of symbiotic bacteria resulting in improved biomass. Composting
for agricultural benefits is the need of today to help in the reclamation of degraded
soil of wastelands. The application of dung/compost and microorganisms act as
catalysis for farmers in developing countries to exploit microbiota for augmenting
the crop productivity, and ensuring continued maintenance and building up of the
soil fertility for greater sustainability.
Keywords Dung · Nutrients · Microorganisms · Soil fertility · Plants
S. Dhiman (B) · S. Kumar · N. Baliyan · S. Dheeman · D. K. Maheshwari
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: sandhyadhiman93@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
e-mail: svdheeman@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Dehradun 248 161, Uttarakhand, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. K. Maheshwari and S. Dheeman (eds.), Endophytes: Mineral Nutrient
Management, Volume 3, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 26,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65447-4_4
77
Cattle Dung Manure Microbiota
as a Substitute for Mineral Nutrients
and Growth Management Practices
in Plants
Sandhya Dhiman, Sandeep Kumar, Nitin Baliyan, Shrivardhan Dheeman,
and Dinesh Kumar Maheshwari
Abstract Minerals are ubiquitous and found in two forms “macronutrients and
micronutrients” in soil. To meet out their requirements to crops. Cow dung is high in
organic materials rich in nutrients and contains (3-2-1 NPK) besides rich in ammonia.
On the other hand, dung and manure is the source of potentially beneficial bacteria
used as a rich fertilizer and produce biogas which is eco-friendly and an alternative
to fossil fuels. Cow dung has been used in various forms for centuries, like fires, for
heating, cooking. Hindu rituals performed during popular festivals. A diverse group
of microbes inhabiting in dung mainly bacteria has multiple roles such as plant growth
promotion and protection from diseases in plants. The addition of dung corroborates nutrients, micronutrients, and organic matter availability to soil and favors
growth/activity of symbiotic bacteria resulting in improved biomass. Composting
for agricultural benefits is the need of today to help in the reclamation of degraded
soil of wastelands. The application of dung/compost and microorganisms act as
catalysis for farmers in developing countries to exploit microbiota for augmenting
the crop productivity, and ensuring continued maintenance and building up of the
soil fertility for greater sustainability.
Keywords Dung · Nutrients · Microorganisms · Soil fertility · Plants
S. Dhiman (B) · S. Kumar · N. Baliyan · S. Dheeman · D. K. Maheshwari
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar,
Uttarakhand, India
e-mail: sandhyadhiman93@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
e-mail: svdheeman@gmail.com
S. Dheeman
Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Dehradun 248 161, Uttarakhand, India
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. K. Maheshwari and S. Dheeman (eds.), Endophytes: Mineral Nutrient
Management, Volume 3, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 26,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65447-4_4
77