Manure is organic matter used as fertilizer in agriculture. Manures improve the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and lots of nutrients, such as nitrogen that is trapped by bacteria in the soil. Higher organisms then feed on the fungi and bacteria in a chain of life.
The term "manure" was used for inorganic fertilizers in the past, but this usage is now very rare.[1] Manure from birds and bats is called guano.