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    25
    2025/07

    What is the Most Popular Chemical Fertilizer?

    Farmers need to grow lots of food for people. But plants need food too! Plants need good soil and fertilizer to grow. Most farmers don’t have enough good soil. They need help to grow more crops. What can they use that works best? What is the most popular help for plants?

    The Answer: Urea is the Most Popular Chemical Fertilizer

    Urea is the most popular chemical fertilizer in the world. It has the most nitrogen (46%) of any solid fertilizer. This helps plants grow big and green. Farmers like urea because it costs less than other fertilizers and works on many crops. The urea market was worth $128.92 billion in 2023, which shows how much farmers use it. Urea helps feed billions of people by making plants grow better on farms around the world.

    Why Urea is Number One

    What Makes Urea So Special?

    Urea has more nitrogen than other fertilizers. Plants need nitrogen to grow big. Let’s see how much nitrogen is in different fertilizers:

    Fertilizer TypeNitrogen %Why Farmers Like ItProblems It Can Have
    Urea46%Most nitrogen, cheap, easy to useCan make gas if not used right
    Ammonium Nitrate34%Works fastCan be dangerous
    Ammonium Sulfate21%Has sulfur tooLess nitrogen

    Urea wins because it has the most nitrogen. This means farmers can use less fertilizer to feed their crops. That saves them money.

    Why Urea is Number One
    Why Urea is Number One

    Urea is Cheap

    Farmers like to save moneyUrea costs less than other fertilizers for the amount of nitrogen it gives.

    A big bag of urea helps more plants than the same size bag of other fertilizers. This makes urea the best deal for farmers.

    Urea Works on Many Crops

    Urea helps all kinds of plants grow:

    • Corn
    • Wheat
    • Rice
    • Cotton
    • Vegetables
    • Fruit trees
    • Grass and lawns

    This makes urea good for farmers all over the world, no matter what they grow.

    BB Fertilizer NPK 18-07-30
    Urea Works on Many Crops

    Urea is Easy to Use

    Farmers can put urea on their fields in many ways:

    • Spread it on top of the soil
    • Mix it into the soil
    • Put it in water and spray it
    • Put it next to plants

    This makes urea very easy for farmers to use with their tools.

    Urea’s Big Role in Feeding the World

    Urea Market is Huge

    The urea market was worth $128.92 billion in 2023. That’s more than twice the size of all other nitrogen fertilizers put together!

    Urea use keeps growing. Experts say it will grow 4.8% more each year until 2030. This shows how important urea is to farming.

    Where Urea is Used Most

    Asia uses the most urea. Countries like China and India have many farmers who need to grow food for lots of people. North America and Europe also use a lot of urea.

    In the United Statesurea makes up 36% of all nitrogen used by farmers. That’s more than any other kind of nitrogen fertilizer.

    How Urea Helps Feed People

    Without fertilizers like urea, we could not grow enough food for everyone. Urea helps:

    • Make more food on the same land
    • Help poor soil grow good crops
    • Make plants grow faster
    • Make fruits and vegetables more healthy

    Urea helps farmers feed 8 billion people around the world.

    How Urea Compares to Other Fertilizers

    Different Types of Fertilizers

    Fertilizers come in many types. Let’s see how they are different:

    Fertilizer TypeWhat’s In ItWhat It’s Best ForHow Popular
    Urea46% NitrogenGrowing big plants fast#1 Most popular
    NPK BlendsNitrogen, Phosphorus, PotassiumAll-around plant healthVery popular
    Ammonium Nitrate34% NitrogenFast green growthLess common now
    Diammonium Phosphate18% Nitrogen, 46% PhosphorusRoot growthPopular for phosphorus
    PotashPotassiumFlowers and fruitsPopular for potassium

    Urea is still #1 because it has the most nitrogen, and nitrogen is what plants need most.

    NPK Blends Use Urea Too

    Many NPK fertilizers use urea as their nitrogen part. So even when farmers buy NPK fertilizers, they are often still using urea!

    NPK Blends Use Urea Too

    If you want to learn more about NPK fertilizers, check out this guide to NPK compound fertilizers for different plants.

    Why Nitrogen Is So Important

    Plants need more nitrogen than any other nutrientNitrogen helps make:

    • Green leaves
    • Strong stems
    • Plant proteins
    • DNA for plant growth

    This is why fertilizers with lots of nitrogen, like urea, are so popular. Plants just can’t grow well without enough nitrogen.

    The Science Behind Urea

    How Urea Is Made

    Urea is made in big factories. The steps are:

    1. Mix ammonia and carbon dioxide gases
    2. Heat them up under high pressure
    3. Make them form urea crystals
    4. Dry the crystals
    5. Make them into little balls or granules
    6. Put them in bags

    This process is called the Haber-Bosch process. It uses a lot of energy but makes fertilizer that helps grow food for billions of people.

    How Urea Works in Soil

    When urea goes in the soil, it changes:

    1. Urea mixes with water in the soil
    2. Tiny soil helpers called enzymes change it to ammonia
    3. Ammonia changes to forms of nitrogen plants can use
    4. Plants take up this nitrogen through their roots
    5. Plants use the nitrogen to grow bigger

    This change takes a few days. That’s why farmers often put urea on fields before they think it will rain.

    Types of Urea Fertilizer

    Urea comes in different forms:

    • Granular urea: Little round balls that are easy to spread (most common)
    • Prilled urea: Smaller balls that dissolve faster
    • Urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN): Liquid form for spraying
    • Coated urea: Covered with a special coat to release nitrogen slowly

    Granular urea is the most popular, making up more than 75% of the urea market.

    Benefits and Problems with Urea

    Good Things About Urea

    Urea has many good points:

    • Most nitrogen (46%) of any solid fertilizer
    • Costs less than other nitrogen fertilizers
    • Easy to store and doesn’t catch fire
    • Works on all kinds of crops
    • Can be used in many ways
    • Helps plants grow fast
    • Makes food more healthy

    These benefits make urea the top choice for farmers around the world.

    Problems with Urea

    Urea also has some problems:

    • Can turn to gas and go into the air if not used right
    • Can wash away in heavy rain
    • Can make water dirty if too much is used
    • Takes energy to make
    • Can make soil more acid over time
    • Can burn plants if put too close

    Farmers need to be careful how they use urea to avoid these problems.

    Better Ways to Use Urea

    Farmers can use urea better by:

    • Putting it in the soil not just on top
    • Using it right before rain (but not heavy rain)
    • Not using too much
    • Using special kinds that release slowly
    • Testing soil to know how much they need
    • Not putting it too close to plants

    These steps help urea work better and cause fewer problems.

    Urea Around the World

    Who Makes the Most Urea

    The biggest urea makers are:

    • China
    • India
    • Russia
    • Qatar
    • Saudi Arabia
    • United States

    China makes the most urea in the world. Many countries that have lots of natural gas make urea because gas is needed to make it.

    How Much Urea Is Used

    Farmers use about 180 million tons of urea each year around the world. That’s about 50 pounds of urea for every person on Earth!

    Urea use keeps growing as more people need food and farmers try to grow more on the same land.

    How Urea Helps Food Security

    Food security means having enough food for everyone. Urea helps with food security by:

    • Making more food grow on each acre of land
    • Helping farmers in poor soil areas grow good crops
    • Keeping food costs lower
    • Helping poor countries grow more of their own food
    • Making crops more strong against bad weather

    Without urea and other fertilizers, many more people would be hungry.

    Questions People Ask About Urea

    Is Urea Safe?

    Urea is safe when used right. It is the same thing animals make in their bodies, just made in a factory instead.

    Farmers should:

    • Wear gloves when touching a lot of urea
    • Not breathe in urea dust
    • Keep urea away from lakes and streams
    • Not use too much urea

    When used right, urea is safe for people, animals, and the earth.

    Can I Use Urea in My Garden?

    Yes! Urea works in gardens too. But home gardeners should:

    • Use less urea than big farmers
    • Mix it well with soil
    • Keep it away from plant stems
    • Water after using it
    • Follow the directions on the bag

    Urea can help vegetables, flowers, and lawns grow better in home gardens.

    Are There Better Options Than Urea?

    Some other fertilizers might be better in some cases:

    • Organic fertilizers like compost or manure for small gardens
    • Slow-release fertilizers for lawns
    • NPK blends for plants that need more than just nitrogen
    • Special micronutrient fertilizers for plants with special needs

    But for big farmers who need lots of nitrogen at a low cost, urea is still usually best. If you’re looking for options, you might consider water soluble fertilizer for plants in gardens or complete NPK fertilizers for balanced nutrition.

    Looking to the Future of Fertilizers

    New Types of Urea

    Scientists are making better types of urea:

    • Coated urea that releases nitrogen slowly
    • Urea with things that keep it from turning to gas
    • Urea mixed with good bacteria
    • Bio-urea made from plants, not gas

    These new types help urea work better and cause less problems.

    Using Urea in a Better Way

    Farmers are finding better ways to use urea:

    • Using computers to put the right amount in each spot
    • Testing soil more to know exactly how much to use
    • Mixing urea with other good things for soil
    • Putting urea right where plants need it
    • Using special tools to put urea in the soil, not on top

    These smart ways help farmers use less urea but still grow more food.

    Will Urea Stay Number One?

    Urea will likely stay the most popular chemical fertilizer for many years. This is because:

    • It still has the most nitrogen
    • Making other fertilizers costs more
    • Factories are built to make urea
    • Farmers know how to use it
    • The world needs more food every year

    But farmers will keep finding ways to use urea better and smarter to help the earth.

    Conclusion: Urea Feeds the World

    Urea is the most popular chemical fertilizer because it has the most nitrogen at the lowest cost. The urea market was worth $128.92 billion in 2023, more than twice all other nitrogen fertilizers combined.

    Farmers around the world use urea to grow food for billions of people. It helps plants grow bigger and faster, making more food on the same land.

    While urea has some problems, farmers are finding better ways to use it that help both plants and the earth. New types of urea and smarter ways of using it will help urea stay the most popular chemical fertilizer for years to come.

    Without urea, growing enough food for everyone would be much harder. This simple white granule helps feed the world!

    Why Urea Beats Other Fertilizers

    46%
    Urea
    34%
    Ammonium Nitrate
    21%
    Ammonium Sulfate
    Nitrogen Content
    46%
    Highest nitrogen of all solid fertilizers

    Urea Market Dominance

    2023 Market Value
    $128.92B
    More than 2x larger than all other nitrogen fertilizers combined

    How Urea Feeds the World

    🌱
    Used on corn, wheat, rice worldwide
    💧
    36% of US nitrogen use
    🌎
    Asia-Pacific main user
    📈
    4.8% yearly growth
    Crop Coverage
    50+
    Major food crops
    Production Growth
    4.8%
    Yearly until 2030
    Granular Form
    75%
    Of all urea used
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