Raw manure: you thought it was treasure, it burned the seedlings
Heat, salt and ammonia from unfinished compost.
- Rotted manure is a normal soil heat with no sharp ammonia; raw dung burns the hand and stings the nose.
- Disease spreads; raw-dung injury sits in the fertiliser hole.
- Don’t bury raw manure as treasure; don’t put it in the seed furrow.
- What “rotted” means: Does not burn the hand, no sharp ammonia, a dark colour. If you cannot reach that, don’t go in
- Name what you see before you feed.
- If leaves, roots and the surface disagree, stop.
- Raw manure steals nitrogen, runs a fever, brings salt and ammonia.
- Buried by the root it is a burn.
What you see in the field
Seedlings look scalded beside a raw dung heap; it still smells; the soil is hot; roots scorch.Ask what was applied, and how much. Injury in a line with granules in the seed furrow matches this page. Scattered patches look more like disease. Do not stack another bag.
Tap to enlarge. The caption says what to photograph. Missing field photos are marked as to-be-added.
Why it looks like this
The field looks like this because the root cannot take water or nutrients the usual way. Fix the soil condition first — drainage, salt, acidity, compaction or a salt of fertiliser — then a thin feed. Rates live in the range on this page; confirm with a local station and the label.
Easy to mix up
Looks like “Rotted manure doing a normal heat”
Rotted manure is a normal soil heat with no sharp ammonia; raw dung burns the hand and stings the nose.
Looks like “Disease”
Disease spreads; raw-dung injury sits in the fertiliser hole.
Do this / don’t do that
- 1Compare the worst plants with a neighbour ridge. Photograph whole plant, close-up and soil surface before you add fertiliser.
- 2Match roots, leaves and the soil surface to this guide. If they do not line up, do not copy a bag count.
- 3Use the rate range on this page only as a range. Confirm with a local station and the product label.
Don’t do this first
- Don’t bury raw manure as treasure; don’t put it in the seed furrow.
Rate range
What “rotted” means
Does not burn the hand, no sharp ammonia, a dark colour
If you cannot reach that, don’t go in.
Rate
Locally 1–2 t per mu
It must be rotted.
These are ranges. Confirm with your local extension station and the product label.
How soon after a spray or a feed it showed
A 1–3 day burst looks more like spray injury / fertiliser burn.
When you see Seedlings look scalded beside a raw dung heap; it still smells; the soil is hot; roots scorch, test. Take soil from the bad patch and from a greener neighbour, separately.
Lesson video
2026-03-03 · Li Zeyu · For learning. Serious damage: local agronomist or a soil test.
For learning only. Fertiliser and pesticide decisions need a local agronomist and a soil test.
Not sure? Photograph the field to identify the problem