Human Urine and Microbes Are in Demand in Fertilizer Crunch (1)

James Mills has spent a lot of time thinking about chicken muck lately.

After the Iran war disrupted supplies of conventional nitrogen fertilizers, the English farmer began scouring the Yorkshire countryside for substitutes to keep his crops growing. That led Mills to the poultry shed of a relative’s friend, whose chicken manure is suddenly so sought after that he now has a long list of buyers.

“Everyone is doing the same, looking for alternatives,” said Mills, who harvests wheat, barley and oats on a farm dotted with sheep.

Farmers worldwide are under pressure. About a third of traded urea, ...