What is Urea
As a gardener, do you know how to make organic urea fertilizer? Do you know what is urea actually? Urea, alternatively known as carbamide, is a naturally occurring organic molecule having the chemical formula CO(NH2)2. This amide contains two –NH2 groups that are connected by a carbonyl (C=O) functional group. Urea is a critical component of animals’ nitrogen-containing compound metabolism and is the primary nitrogen-containing material in their urine.
It is a colorless, odorless solid, highly soluble in water, and practically non-toxic. Urea is widely used in agriculture and industry, where it acts both as a fertilizer and a pesticide, due its ability to inhibit soil microorganisms. It is also used as a preservative in meat products and other foodstuffs and beverages. In this blog, we also have an article about best organic fertilizer on amazon that you might want to see.
As well as its uses as a chemical precursor, urea has properties which make it useful in its own right. For example, because of its high nitrogen content, urea is often used as a component of agricultural fertilizers.”
wiki.ch.ic.ac.uk
How To Create An Urea
It can be manufactured on large scale by either the reaction with ammonia or by the decomposition of cyanate . Urea is produced as a byproduct when producing nitric acid by the Haber process. The largest producer of urea is China , followed by India, Argentina, Brazil and Ukraine. In 2011, world’s total production was about 1 billion tones.
The chemical structure of urea consists of two functional groups which are bonded together through polar covalent bonds. There exists three forms of urea, each one having slightly different properties such as melting point, solubility and reactivity. These three forms of urea are called alpha, beta and gamma.
The most common form of urea is the alpha form , which has no significant difference between the two NH2 groups due to their proximity. The second form of urea is beta : the NH2 groups have moved away from each other but still remain close enough for hydrogen bonding to occur. Beta urea dissolves completely at standard temperature and pressure in water, whereas in air, it will slowly oxidize to ammonium carbamate. The third form of urea is gamma . Gamma urea has been found to be very reactive in that it undergoes rapid hydrolysis to produce ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Urea is a raw material used in the manufacture of many chemicals, such as various plastics, urea-formaldehyde resins and adhesives. It is also essential for making feedstock, glue, fertilizer, commercial products, and in resin production.”
Thechemco.com
Organic Urea
Organic urea , also known as granular urea, is the raw material which contains urea with free amino groups, and its purity is higher than 95%. Organic urea contains less than 0.5% of impurities such as sulfate, nitrite, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, potassium salts, etc. OU is usually not purified after being synthesized because it only needs to be dissolved in water before use. The price of urea powder is lower than that of liquid urea.
How to Make Organic Urea Fertilizer?
Obtaining the Urea
So how to make organic urea fertilizer, coming with this first step. While collecting urine in a bucket is the simplest approach, it is critical to have a tightly fitting lid. Rather than utilizing the toilet, have family members or yourself urinate into the bucket. Of course, nothing but urine is permitted to be placed in the bucket.
Constructing the Mixture
It is critical to use the urine within 24 hours of expulsion; otherwise, it may degrade into ammonia, which can damage your plants. 1 teaspoon baking soda to 1 gallon of urine The baking soda acts as a buffer for the acid in the urine. To neutralize the nitrogen in the urine, add at least ten times the amount of water collected (example: ten liters water for one gallon pee). These components can be combined in the bucket immediately or moved to a smaller container for mixing.
Urea should be transferred to a watering can
Transfer the urea from the bucket or other container to the watering can using the funnel. If any of the combination is spilled, it is easily removed with soapy water and is completely harmless to the skin and other materials if wiped away soon.
Application to Plants
Apply around and over the plants using your watering can. When using the mixture alone, use sparingly and follow up with watering the plants. If you dilute the mixture with water, you can apply it more liberally. When applying urea fertilizer, it is important not to overwater plants and gardens to prevent the mixture from entering the groundwater. Because the fertilizer may be applied to plants once a week, if you begin a cycle of feeding specific areas on specific days, you will easily have enough to fertilize your entire garden or yard.
Due to the mix of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium, plants will grow at a considerably faster rate than they would with only water. The urea fertilizer is natural and will have no adverse effect on the environment. Chemical fertilizers can be harmful to humans and pets, and if not applied properly, they can also cause damage to your plants. Chemical fertilizers also make their way into public water systems, where they have been identified at increasing concentrations over time.
