Urea fertilizer is the most popular nitrogenous fertilizer used for the growing of crops in Nigeria. Urea fertilizer contains 46 – 49% nitrogen. Urea fertilizer is one of the fertilizers that can be used as a foliar fertilizer.
Urea is soluble in water; this makes it very effective when used as a foliar fertilizer. Foliar application of fertilizer is the application of fertilizers to crops through spraying of the soluble fertilizer to the leaves, stems and the surfaces of the plants.
Steps to take to use urea as a foliar fertilizer
The following are some of the steps to take to use urea as a foliar fertilizer:
Prepare the Fertilizer Solution
You will need to get all the materials needed for the foliar fertilizer. You need to get the urea fertilizer, water, humates if needed, container and sprayer. Mix 100 grams of urea fertilizer to 100 – 200 litres of water. You can also add potassium humate to make the solution effective. Potassium humate can also reduce the burning power of the urea fertilizer.
Calculate the appropriate concentration
100 grams of urea fertilizer is usually dissolved in 100 – 200 litres of water. You may need to engage an expert to calculate the appropriate concentration of the urea for you. Bigger plants will need higher concentration of urea than smaller plants.
Mix the urea with water
The urea granules should be mixed thoroughly with water. Do not spray the fertilizer solution until the urea fertilizer has fully dissolved in water. You may use a stick to thoroughly mix the urea fertilizer in water.
Test the fertilizer on a small area
Urea fertilizer is hot; it can burn and kill your plants if the concentration is too high. You should test the foliar fertilizer in a small space before using it for all your plants. If after a few hors of testing, the plants do not get burned or killed, you can apply the foliar fertilizer to all your plants.
Application of the foliar fertilizer
After mixing the fertilizer solution and testing it on a small area. You will need a sprayer to apply the fertilizer as a foliar fertilizer. A knapsack sprayer or a motorized sprayer can be used to apply the foliar spray to the plants.
Do not apply the foliar fertilizer when it is sunny or hot as it may lead to the burning of the leaves of the plant. Foliar fertilizer should be applied early in the morning or late evening.
Frequency of Application
The urea foliar fertilizer should be applied as frequent as advised by your agronomist or expert. If the plant is deficient in nitrogen, you may need to apply the foliar spray once to twice a week. You may also need to apply every week till the deficiency is corrected.
Please note that over-application of foliar fertilizer may negatively impact the growth of the plant.
Check the Weather
Do not apply foliar fertilizer if its raining. Rains can wash off the foliar spray applied on plants. If it is also too hot, please avoid applying foliar fertilizer as this can lead to the death of the plants.
About Urea Fertilizer
Urea is a white crystalline solid fertilizer with 46% nitrogen content. Urea fertilizer primarily supplies nitrogen to plants. Nitrogen is used in the vegetative development stage of plants.
Urea is the fertilizer with the highest content of nitrogen in the world. In Nigeria, urea fertilizer is one of the most popular fertilizers used by farmers.
The following are the chemical properties of urea fertilizer:
- Nitrogen content: 46-49%
- Moisture: 0.1%
Should you need more information about how to use urea as a foliar fertilizer, kindly call us on 08025141924.
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