Urea or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO(NH2)2. The molecule has two —NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl (C=O)functional group.

    Agriculture - More than 90% of world production of urea is destined for use as a nitrogen-release fertilizer. Urea has the highest nitrogen content of all solid nitrogenous fertilizers in common use.

  Therefore, it has the lowest transportation costs per unit of nitrogen nutrient. The

standard crop-nutrient rating of urea is 46-0-0. Urea is also used in many         

multi-component solid fertilizer formulations. Urea is highly soluble in water and is,

therefore, also very suitable for use in fertilizer solutions (in combination with

ammonium nitrate: UAN), e.g., in 'foliar feed' fertilizers.

     For fertilizer use, granules are preferred over prills because of their narrower particle

size distribution, which is an advantage for mechanical application.

     As a practical guide, when preparing urea solutions for fertigation (injection into

irrigation lines), dissolve no more than 3 g urea per 1 L water. In foliar sprays, urea concentrations of 0.5% – 2.0% are often used in horticultural crops. Low-biuret grades of urea are often indicated.

     Urea absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and therefore is typically stored either in closed/sealed bags on pallets or, if stored in bulk, under cover with a tarpaulin. As with most solid fertilizers, storage in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area is recommended.

     Chemical industry - Urea is a raw material for the manufacture of many important chemical compounds, such as:

          •  Various plastics, especially the urea-formaldehyde resins.

          •  Various adhesives, such as urea-formaldehyde or the

              urea-melamine-formaldehyde used in marine plywood.

          •  Potassium cyanate, another industrial feedstock.

     Other commercial uses

          •A component of animal feed, providing a relatively cheap source of nitrogen to promote growth

          •A main ingredient in hair removers such as Nair and Veet

          •An ingredient in dish soap

          •A nutrient used by plankton in ocean nourishment experiments for geoengineering purposes

          •As an additive to extend the working temperature and open time of hide glue

                                                          Production - Urea is produced on an industrial scale:

In 2012 worldwide production capacity was approximately 184 million tonnes.