The study looked at how different types of helpful bacteria affect the breakdown of cow manure in compost. By adding three types of bacteria to the compost, researchers found that one type increased the number of bacteria present, while another type increased the number of actinomycetes. These bacteria helped raise the temperature of the compost and speed up the decomposition process. However, the bacteria did not affect the number of fungi present. Overall, one specific type of bacteria had a significant impact on the decomposition of cow manure in compost.