Have you used Urea

PineRidge · Jun 6, 2005

Brian ideally spraying Urea mixed with water would be my choice of distribution methods. Besides it also gives me a reason to build a 3-point boom sprayer. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I guess that shouldn't change the pounds per acre measurement though.

TMcD_in_MI · Jun 7, 2005

( Urea is not an explosive. Neither is ammonium nitrate. They will not detonate by themselves. )

Well, that may be overstating it a little. Anyone remember reading about the Texas City explosions in 1947? Ammonium nitrate sure blew up then! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
Texas City Ammonium Nitrate

Tom

bczoom · Jun 7, 2005

Mike,

I checked with a friend who uses it on his hay fields and lawn. He uses 100# per acre. He sent me a quote from Ohio State that gave the same 100#.

He said 200# is too much (a waste since 100# would do the same). In either case, rain afterwards is important to stop the potential for burning as well as evaporation.

I have some urea that got exposed to air/moisture and the pellets are now big clumps. I think I'll put these in my boom sprayer.

Brian

KennedyDiesel · Jun 7, 2005

( Never seen a post here regarding the use of Urea and just kinda wondered if anyone here is or has used the fertilizer in the past. At 47% nitrogen I would think it to be a great way to get corn to produce well.

I have also heard that Urea needs to actually be worked into the soil, not sure if it breaks down to UV exposure or what.

It is supposed to be a lot less corrosive to machinery that handles it. Further it is not explosive as some other fertilizers can be when they make contact with diesel.

I'm also wondering at this point if Urea can be dissolved in water to be used in a boom sprayer to green up the lawn.

Anyone here have more info on the stuff, are there any down sides to using it? )

I've used it in the past on my corn, but wait till it gets established well (say 12" tall) and water the snot out of it after application or it can burn. I put it in a bucket and lay a line near the base of the row. A 1" wide strip should suffice depending on soil. Maybe a line on each side, but don't get it too close or too heavy. Keep a row or two untreated for comparison and you'll be amazed at how much greener it gets. You can always treat the control rows after the results are in if you want to perk them up.

I had the same idea for the lawn sprayer, but the feed store didn't really have any ideas as to how much or if it would dissolve. Recommended liquid nitrogen, but again unsure of treat rate.

P.S. Keep it dry or it will clump up.

MossRoad · Jun 7, 2005

It blew up because of the way they fought the fire on the ship. Instead of putting out a small fire on the ship immediately, which would have damaged the cargo, they chose to try to save the cargo... bad choice. The immonium nitrate didn't blow up by itself. It had lots of help. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

mwechtal · Jun 7, 2005

Ammonium Nitrate in compressed blocks is shown in my dad's Corp of Engineers handbood as an explosive. I remember reading somewhere that the fuel oil is just used to slow down the explosion and make it more efficient at moving material (as opposed to just fracturing it). I'm fairly sure they said that the fuel oil actually makes it harder to detonate, but gives a more efficient explosion. I don't want to try surfing for that kind of thing from work. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mike

MossRoad · Jun 7, 2005

It has to be detonated with something like a blasting cap or other small explosion. It won't go off by itself.

mwechtal · Jun 9, 2005

Hmm, I should have addressed that one to PineRidge. My point, (and I do have one) was that Ammonium Nitrate doesn't become an explosive only after mixing with fuel oil, it is an explosive all by itself. I know I wasn't being very clear. I'm going to blame that on the heat. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

And, yes, I have also read that it is fairly insensitive, so that an explosion is needed to set it off. I'm not sure if anyone really knows what set it off on that ship. I'm just glad I didn't experience that.

Mike

fractal · Jun 18, 2005

I used to use urea for my avocado's. They love nitrogen. It is a little more expensive than ammonium nitrate but is I have to haul less of it up the hill. I stopped because you have to apply it below (I forget the exact temperature, somewhere around 75-85f) or it (somethings) the nitrogen into the atmosphere instead of into the soil ( http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC0636.html ). I have been using potassium nitrate the past season to boost my potassium levels a bit since both soil and leaf analysis said I needed it.

Urea is available in two forms, dry which is 46% nitrogen by weight and liquid (un32) which is 32%. I seem to recall them recommending you buy the liquid if you want to fertaligze the stuff or spray it as the dry stuff can be hard to disolve. Then again, I read this stuff a year or two ago so may have forgotten some of it. The only thing generally available with more nitrogen is anhydrous ammonia, a liquefied gas containing 82% nitrogen. That stuff is insideous as pure ammonia suppresses the natural breathing reflex and is odorless. Nasty, NASTY stuff.

I think I remember it is made from seaweed whereas ammonium nitrate is made from natural gas, and with america's love of petrolium products, the natural gas product is of course cheaper.

As for a lawn, I suppose once you dilute it enough to not burn the lawn it will be ok. Just remember do spray it early in the morning so it has a chance to get absorbed before it gets too hot.

rswyan · Jul 4, 2005

Ok, so later this morning I'm taking the plunge ......

Pineridge hooked me up with a local source for urea and I went up yesterday and picked up a couple of 40 lb. bags at a local feed store. The stuff looks kinda like ice melter - little balls - which according to the guy at the feed store are "prills".

I asked the guy about applying it in solution with water - he said that it could be done, but since since the prills have a slightly waxy coating it would have to be put into warm/hot water to get it to dissolve. He didn't have a whole lot of info on this manner of usage other than what the normal (dry) application rate per acre was .... which I have now forgotten. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif He did say be sure not to get any on the plant leaves (although he really didn't have any idea how dillute of a solution I was going to be applying ... and neither did I for that matter /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

Tonight I prepared enough premix solution for 150 gallons of urea/water solution. What I did was take some old 2 1/2 gallon fertilizer jugs and fill them about 2/3rds full with hot water and then add 3 cups worth of urea. It was fully dissolved within 10 to 15 minutes. It sounds from some of the links referenced here as though it might make more sense to do this immediately before you are going to apply it, due to the chemical decomposition. I capped all the jugs - hopefully they won't explode /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Each one of the premixes with 3 cups of urea will be mixed with water to fill my 25 gallon sprayer. I was trying to be conservative - and not do something that would end up frying my corn ..... I think 3 cups of urea per 25 gallons of water will probably be a fairly dillute solution. I believe I used slightly less than 1/4 of a 40 lb. bag, which will be used to dress 3 rows of corn.

I intend to use the spraygun/wand to side dress the solution on both sides of each of my rows. I only have 10 or 11 rows and they are only about 60' - 75' long. I'm figuring 25 gallons of solution per side would be a good place to start. Be interesting to see how it works out.