Nitrogen Fertilizer氮肥
A nitrogen fertilizer is one whose primary function is to supply nitrogen nutrition. It is classified by nitrogen form into ammonium, nitrate, amide (urea) and cyanamide types, with the main products being urea, ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate. Nitrogen is a principal constituent of proteins and chlorophyll, and nitrogen fertilizers are the largest category by application volume among the three primary nutrients.
Key points
- Classified by nitrogen form into ammonium, nitrate, amide (urea) and cyanamide types; the form determines mobility in soil and the appropriate timing of application.
- Ammonium nitrogen is held by the soil colloid and moves little; nitrate nitrogen carries a negative charge, is not retained, and leaches readily — a particular concern on sandy soils and in high-rainfall areas.
- Urea is amide nitrogen and must be hydrolysed to ammonium by soil urease before it can be taken up in quantity, so its response is slightly slower than that of ammonium or nitrate fertilizers.
- Urea is exempt from registration under China's fertilizer registration rules — but exemption from registration does not exempt the product from quality liability.
Related terms
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Nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) are the two ino…
Nutrient Use Efficiency
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One of Egypt's largest nitrogen fertilizer producers, manufacturing ammo…
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A vertically integrated Russian mineral fertilizer producer of nitrogen,…
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- Category：Fertilizer classification
- Definition basis：GB/T 2440-2017 Urea
Updated：Oct 16, 2026