Urea

Urea fertilizer, a white, granular organic compound (CO(NH2)2), reigns supreme in the agricultural world as a nitrogen source.  Encompassing roughly 90% of global urea production, it boasts the highest nitrogen content among solid fertilizers of its kind.

Upon application, soil microbes readily hydrolyze urea, converting it into readily available ammonium (NH4+) and carbon dioxide (CO2).  Soil bacteria then efficiently oxidize the ammonium to nitrate (NO3-), the preferred form of nitrogen uptake for plants.  High water solubility further enhances its effectiveness.  For ease of application, granular urea is the preferred form due to its superior distribution characteristics compared to prilled urea.

Beyond agriculture, urea is a critical chemical industry raw material.  It plays a vital role in the production of various plastics, particularly urea-formaldehyde resins, and adhesives such as urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, and urea nitrate.