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Fertigation

Also known as
fertigate

Fertigation is the application of fertilizers, and sometimes other soluble crop inputs, through an irrigation system. It lets growers deliver nutrients in small, frequent doses timed to crop demand, directly to the root zone.

What is fertigation?

Fertigation combines fertilization and irrigation. Soluble fertilizer is injected into irrigation water and travels with it to the crop. It is used most with drip and micro-sprinkler systems in vegetables, fruit, vineyards, orchards and greenhouse crops, and also through center pivots in field crops.

Applying other crop protection chemicals through irrigation is called chemigation, and it is subject to specific label and safety requirements.

Benefits

  • Timing. Nutrients can be supplied in small doses matched to the crop’s growth stage, rather than in a few large applications.
  • Placement. With drip irrigation, nutrients go directly to the wetted root zone.
  • Efficiency. Matching supply to demand can reduce leaching and other losses, improving nutrient use efficiency.
  • Labor and flexibility. Applications can be made without driving through the field, and adjusted quickly.

What a fertigation system needs

  • Injection equipment, such as injection pumps or venturi injectors, sized to deliver accurate doses.
  • Backflow prevention, to keep fertilizer out of the water source; it is typically required by regulation.
  • Soluble, compatible products. Mixing some fertilizers, or fertilizers with hard water, can form precipitates that clog emitters.
  • Filtration and flushing to keep emitters clean.
  • Uniform irrigation, because uneven water distribution means uneven nutrient distribution.

Biologicals through irrigation

Some biological products, including microbial products and biostimulants, are labeled for application through irrigation systems, delivering them to the root zone of established crops.

Fertigation at Locus

Locus lists fertigation and chemigation as application methods for its Pantego and Rhizolizer for Specialty Crops biologicals.

Frequently asked questions

Fertigation applies fertilizer through irrigation. Chemigation applies other chemicals, such as pesticides, through irrigation, and has additional equipment and label requirements.

Drip, micro-sprinkler and center pivot systems are the most common. Uniform distribution is essential, so well-maintained, well-designed systems give the best results.

  • Chemigation

    Chemigation is the application of agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides, through an irrigation system. When the chemical is a fertilizer, the practice is usually called fertigation. Chemigation requires label approval and specific safety equipment to protect water supplies.

  • Nutrient use efficiency NUE

    Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is a measure of how effectively a crop converts the nutrients available to it, particularly applied fertilizer, into yield. In practice NUE most often refers to nitrogen use efficiency, and it is expressed through several related ratios rather than one number.

  • Foliar application

    A foliar application is the spraying of a crop input, such as a nutrient, biostimulant or crop protection product, directly onto a plant's leaves so that it is absorbed or acts through the foliage rather than through the roots.

Sources

  1. Fertigation guides, Land-grant university extension
  2. Fertigation and irrigation management, FAO