Urea Volatilization
With the loss of dry ammonium nitrate fertilizer due to security concerns, there will be greater reliance on dry urea N for topdressing, banding and broadcasting N. Urea can be an effective N source but does have some characteristics that potentially can reduce it's effectiveness under some conditions. Understanding urea and its limitations can better enable us to maximize its effectiveness and save fertilizer expenses.
A new publication from Montana State University, "Management of Urea Fertilizer to Minimize Volatilization," EB173, provides a detailed description of urea's properties and the conditions that lead to the volatile loss of N. It also includes southern Idaho information on the effectiveness relative to ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate topdressed for winter wheat or barley. It is available on-line by clicking on the link below.