Managing Urea-Containing Fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizer use in Wisconsin as anhydrous ammonia, urea-ammonium nitrate solutions, and urea ranged from about 148,000 to 213, 000 tons of N during the 19952000 period (Terry and Kirby, 2001). This amount is similar to that used about 10 years earlier when 170,000 tons of N was used in 1984. However, a substantial materials shift has occurred since 1984 when about 56% of the N used as the major three sources was urea or N solutions. The percentage of urea-containing materials has increased to 80% in 1999 and 76% in 2000. This increased utilization of urea-containing fertilizers parallels the national trend and emphasizes the need to manage urea effectively.