Introduction
It is worth noting that the urea liquid fertilizer is becoming increasingly popular in modern agriculture. It’s due to the fact that in comparison with granular fertilizer, the liquid fertilizer provides benefits in its application and nutrient delivery efficiency.The liquid fertilizer is extremely reactive in the soils. Once it is added into soil, plants could easily absorb the nutrients from the fertilizers.
What’s more, it is much easier to transport and operate due to its loose liquid state, which is a vital concern for many contemporary farmers.On the other hand, conventionally we use granular fertilizer. The main cause is after it is transported to the fields, we are required to do some procedures to mix it with the soil, compared to the liquid fertilizer, which is easier to be mixed by plants.
The ingredients are relatively simple: urea liquid fertilizer is urea dissolved in water, a high-purity source of nitrogen for plants. ‘Liquid urea is rapidly taken up by root and leaf surfaces, producing a quicker response compared with granular urea, especially during critical growth phases,’ said Susan Martinez, Professor of Agronomy.
Each liquid and granular urea fertilizer have their own advantages in application and in the environment. Liquid urea is easier to evenly apply, and depending on the timing of the season, more often than not, has plants respond quicker than granular urea. In many cases, granular urea is cheaper to buy and store in large amounts but it is sometimes slower in releasing the nitrogen (the plant-friendly part of urea) and often more easily lostto the environment, like the air, because of more nitrogen volatilisation.
Enhanced crop production is only part of the equation – using urea liquid fertilizer also dovetails with efforts to increase the sustainability of agricultural systems. This knowledge can empower farmers to make better decisions about the fertilising materials they use, and can contribute to more productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural systems overall.
Benefits of Urea Liquid Fertilizer
The benefit of urea liquid fertilizer is that the nutrient are highly soluble and assimilated. The urea liquid fertilizer can be soluble when is sprayed on the ground and it can break into small molecules quickly and be absorbed into the plant in a short time. All the nutriments in urea liquid fertilizer can be absorbed immediately. Fast absorption can increase the growth of the plant and promotes the health of crops.
Urea liquid fertilizer is easy to apply and often distributed evenly. Farmers can mix it with the irrigation water – widely done in the inserted picture – and then infuse it into the fields as part of fertigation. Due to the automated operation mode in the fertigation settings, the fertilizer is supposed to be evenly distributed in the filed. In this case, labours are saved and every part of the field receives roughly the same amount of nutrients.
Furthermore, because of its lower water content and lower volatilisation rates, liquid fertilizer urea is better for farming sustainably; volatilisation is loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere as ammonia, and can be greatly lessened with liquid, so it is both more environmental and cheaper since less is lost.
How to Apply Urea Liquid Fertilizer
There is special equipment and tools for spraying urea liquid fertilizer so that it will be evenly distributed and does not waste a lot of fertilizer and effort by applying urea by hand or with equipment and tools like the sprayer or fertigation systems as it can mix urea liquid fertilizer with water to spray it on the crops or inject it in the irrigation systems to be carried by water until it reaches the crops’ roots waste.
A steam by Steam by steam liberates molecules from the fertilizer containing harmful pathogens. a measured amount is chosen. Next, to Neutralise the compound to reduce its pH is necessary. Lastly, use a pump to spread the fertilizer on the soil through a spray gun, at an average speed of about 100 km per hour . The image below depicts the steps involved in the process in detail.
Mix the fertilizer thoroughly and filter out all impurities to avoid clogging of spraying equipment.
Calibration: Set the sprayer to the correct dosage and pressure to ensure even distribution.
Application: Apply fertilizer evenly over the designated area. Spray application: Apply fertilizer as a fine mist using a water hose. Inject application: If using a fertigation system, inject into irrigation system per system instructions.
Last step; post-application: Once you are done applying the product, make sure you clean the tool so you dont get clogged and the product doesnt rust.
Timing and frequency of applications are important to increase the crop’s yield. The timing should conform to the crop’s development stages when the crops need the most fertilizers, generally for crops, it’s during periods of flourishing and also prior to high demand of nutrients, when the crop can utilise the fertilizers. Frequency differs in terms of the crops types, soil state and weather conditions, lighter and more frequent application will help avoiding excess in fertilizers in the soil and will be able to provide nitrogen for the plants as constant as possible is important.
Management Tips for Urea Liquid Fertilizer
Urea should be properly stored and dispatched to raw material suppliers. It needs to be kept in a dry and cool place, away from sunlight and direct contact. Containers are required to seal well to avoid being contaminated and minimum floated, especially under airflow, for if urea nitrogen vapourises out, the fertilizer efficiency will decrease effectivily.
Urea liquid fertilizers should be mixed carefully with other nutrients and chemicals only after testing for compatibility and safety. A compatibility test should be carried out to prevent adverse chemical reactions that can reduce the efficiency level of the components being combined and could endanger the crop. Follow manufacturer’s directions for mixing rate and application directions.
For instance, P testing and adjusting pH to near neutral and solution concentration ratios are all important in optimal use of urea liquid fertilizer. Soil pH, for example, impacts the availability of nitrogen to the plants. Slightly acidifying the pH of the solution can increase nitrogen uptake. If there is an over or under supply of nitrogen uptake, regular testing of soil/ and solution samples can determine the adjustments to make. These adjustments help to maintain optimal nutrient availability and to inhibit potential toxicity or deficiency.
Case Studies and Real-World Applications
Urea liquid fertilizer has been used since long time in a lot of field crops and plant settings, displaying its flexibility and applicability. Here are the examples:
Corn Yield: It was found that the corn field which received the fertigation in the form of urea liquid exhibited an increase of 20 per cent strictly over granular fertilizers which was because of better supply of nutrients as compared to granular fertilizers which allows the plants moderate and not adequate supply of nutrients; where as, In case of liquid fertilizer, the water was flowing all over the field thus, remaining applied mostly through the whole season and during the peak growth stage of corn which makes it perfect time to supply nutrients.
Soybean Production: A case study of a soybean farm in Illinois showed an increase in yield and also an improvement in the protein content after using urea liquid fertilizer via the fertigation system. This is because the liquid fertilizer improved the physical capabilities of peasants in absorbing nitrogen when compared with solid fertilizers for plants.
Fruit orchards: In fruit orchards, especially apple orchards in Washington State, urea liquid fertilizer was applied to increase the fruit size and colour. (The timing of the application was important, because fruit develop at sensitive stages. Application at these critical periods can lead to bigger sizes and better quality, which translate to better marketable production.)
A comparison with other forms of fertilizers, particularly granular or slow-release, consistently shows these benefits of liquid feed in terms of efficiency, crop yield and environmental impact.
Conclusion
To sum up, the urea liquid fertilizer is helping agricultural development and promotion in modern era. It is contain more nutrition and easy to absorbing. It is also easy applied in land and it will help to reduce the harm on environment. Not only increase the crop yield and efficiency, it will help the sustainable farming. Regulate the fertilizer can reduce the nutrient loss.
Not cause water pollution if we add line in mixture It is all benefit to human beings. The government should encourage this advanced farm technology and the trait of labour must change, specially in this society.
In fact, we would encourage the farmer and agronomist to regard urea liquid fertilizer as a fundamental element of good nutrient management, a productive nutrient solution that can easily be integrated into any farming system and which delivers results across all crop types.
Given the roles of coastal agriculture, population growth and urbanisation, there will continue to be appropriate applications for urea liquid fertilizer in the future.
Here are some scholarly references on urea liquid fertilizer:
- Modified Urea Fertilizers and Their Effects on Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE): This review discusses the use of conventional urea and various materials employed for modifying urea to enhance its efficiency. The discussion covers the distinctions among modification processes and their respective mechanisms, as well as the pros and cons of applying slow- and controlled-release nitrogen. This can be found on the MDPI website, which provides comprehensive details about these advances MDPI Sustainability.
- Conjoint Application of Nano-Urea with Conventional Fertilizers: This article examines the integration of nano-urea with traditional fertilizers, highlighting its energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact. It discusses the potential of nano-fertilizers to change agricultural practices by decreasing nutrient losses and enhancing sustainability PLOS ONE.
- Improving the Efficient Use of Urea-Containing Fertilizers: This resource focuses on strategies to increase the effectiveness of urea fertilizers, including liquid formulations, and their impact on crop production Purdue Agriculture.