Wattle & Daub: Craft, Conservation & Wiltshire Case Study
Contents
3.6 Daub
4.1 Soils
4.1.3 Strength
4.2 Dung
4.2.2 Lignin
4.2.3 Urine
4.3 Fibre
5.4.2 Renewal

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4.2.3 Urine

As well as faeces, dung also frequently contains urine. The main component of urine is urea, which is broken down in the soil into ammonia gas or is mineralised.[68] This may increase the acidity of a soil but does not constitute a benefit to a daub.[69]

[68] Petersen, Simek, Stamatiadis and Yamulki (2003).
[69] Minke (2000) suggests that urine may act to disinfect a soil against microorganisms, but since growth is likely to arise mainly from the addition of dung, this represents no net benefit.