Agricultural History Review, Volume 70 Part 2 (2022), pp. 219–240

Peruvian seabird guano was first imported into Britain in bulk in 1840 where, due to its uniquely high nitrogen content, it was enthusiastically received by farmers and scientists. Many came to perceive it as crucial in boosting soil nutrients to achieve levels of agricultural production to feed the rapidly rising and urbanizing population, despite intense scientific disagreements over the use of nitrogenous fertilizers. The ‘guano age’ (1840–80) coincided with a high farming era and an acceleration in the application of scientific principles to agriculture including the implementation of chemical technologies. This article puts Peruvian guano centre stage due to its unique concentration of chemical nutrients and its re-identification as an artificial fertilizer. It examines how, in losing its natural identity, it become a facet of chemical technology and assumed significance as ‘more than a fertilizer’ in its direct and indirect influence on emerging ideas of agricultural sustainability. 

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