Manure can spread antibiotic resistance genes from livestock to soil, which can be harmful to the environment and human health. Researchers studied how nutrients and soil microorganisms affect the spread of these genes. They found that adding manure increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in the soil, but the presence of native soil bacteria helped control the spread of these genes. Even after removing the manure, the effects on gene abundance persisted, while the composition of resistant bacteria partially recovered. This shows that native soil bacteria play a crucial role in both the fertilization effects of manure and in preventing the spread of harmful antibiotic resistance genes.