Improving Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency through Fertigation

摘要

Drip or trickle irrigation is a very efficient method of applying water and nutrients to crops. For many crops, the conversion from surface to drip irrigation can reduce water use by 30-60% depending on crops, season and type of soils. Crops yields can be increased through improved water and fertility management, reduced disease and weed pressure. When drip irrigation in vegetable is used with plastic mulches, yields and quality can be increased even further. Fertigation is the incorporation of soluble fertilisers into irrigation lines enabling harmonization and integration between the application of water and plant nutrients. This was a natural development to meet the requirement of limited root zone development with drip irrigation system. Fertigation also enables the productive use of saline and marginal soils, sand dunes and mountain slopes. It also enables efficient use of nutrients up to 30-50% higher over traditional methods, saving of labour, reduction of weed groups and herbicide uses as well as use of poor quality water. The tremendous potential of fertigation in saving water and fertilisers without compromising the yield and quality of food, horticultural crops and specifically vegetable crops, makes it an attractive system. Flexibility of this technique enables its use both in small scale farming as well as in large scale horticultural and field crops production systems. Considering the needs of efficient use of water and fertilisers as well as advantages of fertigation on crop yield, quality and soil productivity over conventional methods, suitable strategies are required to be adopted to tap the huge potential of micro irrigation as well as fertigation in India.