Urea has the highest nitrogen content of all solid nitrogenous fertilizers in common use. More than 90% of world industrial production of urea is destined for use as a nitrogen-release fertilizer. Urea is made up of 46% nitrogen and is more widely available than calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) internationally.

Urea is an extremely mobile substance in soils because of its negative charge and is a major cause of water pollution from agriculture. It is readily absorbed by plants, and is the dominant source of nitrogen for plant growth. Urea is used in many multi-component solid fertilizer formulations and is highly soluble in water.

Urea is usually spread at rates of between 40 and 300 kg/ha but rates vary. Urea is not compatible with other fertilizers. In irrigated crops, urea can be applied dry to the soil, or dissolved and applied through the irrigation water. As the N rate increases the percentage of NH3 loss from urea increases. Urea is susceptible to ammonia (NH3) loss during its conversion to ammonium-N.