Biuret in Urea Fertilizers

NORTH AMERICA
Biuret in Urea Fertilizers

By R.L. Mikkelsen
In the past, urea manufacturing processes sometimes resulted in fertilizers with elevated
biuret concentrations. In high concentrations, biuret interferes with internal N metabolism
and hinders protein formation in plants. Biuret is degraded by many soil microorganisms,
but the rate is relatively slow. Modern urea manufacturing typically results in biuret concentrations less than 1.0 to 1.3%, which does not pose problems for most uses. There are
some plant species that appear to be especially sensitive to biuret, so low-biuret urea
should be used for foliar application in these situations.
rea has become the leading form of N fertilizer worldwide. Urea, a naturally occurring compound, can also
be made by reacting carbon dioxide with ammonia at
high temperature and pressure. Its high N content (46% N)
makes urea economical to produce, transport, and deliver to
the farm.
Two concerns are sometimes expressed by growers using
urea as a N source for crop nutrition. First, when urea remains
on the soil surface, a portion of the applied N may be lost
through NH3 volatilizationthereby diminishing its fertilizer
value. When urea is first applied to soil, it generally reacts
quickly with soil enzymes (urease) to convert to NH4+ then to
NH3 (Figure 1) which may be lost as a gas. Considerable effort
has been made to understand this NH3 loss pathway, resulting
in urea coatings (such as controlled-release fertilizers), additives (such as urease inhibitors), and management practices
that can substantially reduce these losses.
Reaction 1:
CO(NH2)2 + H+ + 2H2O 2NH4+ + HCO3- (urea hydrolysis)
urea
urease
Reaction 2:
NH4 NH3 + H+ (ammonia volatilization)
+
Seedling Damage
When urea with elevated biuret is placed adjacent to seeds,
toxicity may result to the geminating plant. Some of this damage
is due to the NH3 evolved from the urea during normal hydrolysis, but biuret may make the harsh condition more severe.
The extent of biuret damage to seedlings depends on the crop,
the biuret concentration, and the fertilizer placement. Neither
urea nor urea which contains biuret should be placed directly
with a seed during planting. If the fertilizer is separated from
O
Biuret H2NCNHCNH2
C
OH
C
OH
O
=
Triuret
O
O
=
NHC
Cyanuric Acid
OH
H2NCNHCNH CNH2
Cyamelide
O
Many years ago, researchers found that plant growth was

reduced or completely eliminated following high applications
of biuret to soils, and this growth suppression often persisted
for a period of many weeks. Although the ability to degrade
biuret is widespread among soil microorganisms, microbial
growth is only half as fast with biuret as a N source as it is
with urea. The presence of biuret also decreases the rate of
nitrification in soil.
Cyanic Acid HN=C=O
Biuret in Soils
Urea H2NCNH2
A second concern related to urea fertilization is potential

biuret toxicity for growing crops. When molten urea is heated
near or above its melting point (132 C or 270 F) during manufacturing, several different compounds can be formedincluding biuret (Figure 2). Biuret can be toxic to plants at elevated
concentrations, whether applied to soil or foliage. Although
modern urea manufacturing methods now consistently result
in low biuret concentrations, questions still arise regarding
potential hazards associated with biuret.
Better Crops/Vol. 91 (2007, No. 3)
Figure 1. Typical breakdown of urea by soil enzymes to form

ammonium (NH4+ ) and ammonia (NH3).
Foliar application effectively supplies nutrients for many orchard crops.
Figure 2. Possible reaction products formed from urea during

exposure to high temperature.
Abbreviations and notes for this article: N = nitrogen; NH4+ = ammonium;
NH3 = ammonia
the seed by a small volume of soil, toxicity problems are greatly

diminished. Amending the urea with a small amount of urease
inhibitor will also reduce these adverse affects.
Soil Application of Biuret

Many studies have been done to determine the maximum
biuret concentration tolerated by crops. The specific crop sensitivity depends on many factors such as the plant species, soil
properties, the method and timing of fertilizer application, and
both the concentration and total amount of biuret applied.
The soil properties on which the biuret-exposed crop is
grown are important in determining potential toxicity. Biuret is
not retained in soil and is easily leached. Plants are generally
less sensitive to biuret when it is applied to soils containing
appreciable amounts of clay or organic matter, or of low pH.
The specific toxic agent associated with biuret in the root
zone is not known. It has been considered that cyanuric acid or
nitrite may accumulate in the soil following biuret application
and contribute to plant toxicity. Although these compounds
can be injurious to plants, biuret by itself is also harmful.
Many crops can tolerate large amounts of biuret applied
with urea if it is not in direct contact with the seed. A general
guideline for safe use of urea applied to soil would permit a
maximum 2% biuret in urea. Many crops are not adversely
affected until biuret concentrations greatly exceed this level,
which is greater than the 1.0% biuret commonly found in most
urea currently produced in North America. There are a few
plant species (such as citrus and pineapple) that do not tolerate
elevated levels of biuret.
Citrus leaves damaged by biuret and urea application.
Foliar Application of Biuret
Effects of Biuret on Plant Metabolism

Plants are not able to rapidly metabolize biuret. In one
experiment, biuret still remained in the leaves of orange
trees eight months after foliar application. Soil-applied biuret
similarly accumulates in plants for long periods of time. The
exact mechanism of biuret damage to plants is still uncertain,
but the harmful effects of high concentrations have been well
documented.
When present in elevated concentrations, biuret interferes
with normal protein synthesis and internal N metabolism
in the plant. Lower N concentrations are typically found in
biuret-damaged leaves than in healthy urea-treated leaves.
Biuret also disrupts normal activity of many important plant
enzymesincreasing some enzymes and decreasing otherscompared with healthy leaves.
Although biuret in urea can be damaging to plants when
present in high concentrations, modern manufacturing processes have greatly reduced the severity of this problem.
Early urea fertilizer manufacturing facilities often produced
urea containing more than 5% biuret. Foliar application of
urea solutions containing 1% biuret is acceptable for many
common agronomic crops. However, for foliar fertilization of
some sensitive crops, urea with especially low concentrations of
biuret (less than 0.3 % biuret) may be required. If the sensitivity of a specific crop to biuret in foliar sprays is not known, it
is advisable to start with low-biuret urea until the sensitivity
has been determined.
The modern N fertilizer industry produces urea that is
remarkably safe, consistent, and effective for enhancing plant
growth. Urea has many properties that make it the most commonly used N fertilizer in the world. Biuret toxicity problems
are generally rare, but special attention should be made for
fertilization of especially sensitive crops. BC
For more information and a list of scientific references, visit this URL:
www.ipni.net/biuret
Dr. Mikkelsen is IPNI Western North America Region Director, located
at Merced, California; e-mail: rmikkelsen@ipni.net.
Better Crops/Vol. 91 (2007, No. 3)
During the 1950s, foliar biuret damage was first noted

following urea sprays on sensitive avocado, citrus, and pineapple. Since that time, considerable effort has been devoted
to determining the safe threshold concentration of biuret in
foliar sprays of urea. As with soil application, some plant species are more tolerant of biuret than others, but the allowable
concentration of biuret in urea intended for foliar sprays is
much lower than for soil application. Urea and biuret move
readily into the leaves of many plants, making the potential
for adverse effects greater with foliar fertilization.
Foliar application of urea can be extremely beneficial in

some circumstances for plants. Several cereal, vegetable, and
perennial crops respond favorably to foliar applications of urea
with increased growth, yield, and quality. These benefits can
include boosting grain N concentrations, reducing N losses
through leaching and denitrification, and supplying N when
root uptake is limited. However, foliar-applied nutrients may
be directly absorbed by plants (without the buffering effects
of the soil), so careful attention must be paid to this practice
to do it properly.
Following foliar application of urea containing 0.5% biuret
to potatoes, visual symptoms of yellow leaves, upward leaf rolling, and necrotic leaf margins have been noted. Application of
urea and biuret on oranges resulted in damaged leaves, where
the apical portion of the leaf was the most sensitive to biuret
(see photo). These yellow leaves never regained their normal color, although the new flush of growth appeared normal.
Because biuret is not rapidly metabolized by plants, repeated
spray applications of urea and biuret may have a cumulative
effect, especially with perennial crops.

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NORTH AMERICA

Many years ago, researchers found that plant growth was

Cyanic Acid HN=C=O

A second concern related to urea fertilization is potential

Better Crops/Vol. 91 (2007, No. 3)

Figure 1. Typical breakdown of urea by soil enzymes to form

Foliar application effectively supplies nutrients for many orchard crops.

Figure 2. Possible reaction products formed from urea during

the seed by a small volume of soil, toxicity problems are greatly

Soil Application of Biuret

Citrus leaves damaged by biuret and urea application.

Foliar Application of Biuret

Effects of Biuret on Plant Metabolism

Better Crops/Vol. 91 (2007, No. 3)

During the 1950s, foliar biuret damage was first noted

Foliar application of urea can be extremely beneficial in

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