FERTIGATION, ITS IMPORTANCE AND RIGHT METHOD OF DRIP IRRIGATION APPLICATION IN GREENHOUSE AND OPEN FIELD FARMING

Fertigation: A model for managing water and nutrient supply by drip-irrigation to vegetables— Jocempees Nigeria.

The process of growing vegetables, particularly tomatoes, represents one of the most intensive forms of land use in terms of water consumption and nutrient inputs. Fertigation is the injection of soluble nutrients into irrigation water to enhance crop production. In combination with drip irrigation, this technique forms an efficient way for precisely applying nutrients close to the crop root zone, no wastage through off-target application and also it maintains uniformity in distribution all over the field.

According to Oscar Walumbe, Integrated Projects Country Manager, Dizengoff Nigeria, Vegetables can be grown throughout the country on a wide range of soil types and under various conditions. But it is very important to note that fertigation is an essential regime to adopt during vegetable production in order to record success all year round in production, regardless of little or no rainfall. Irrigation has proven to be highly efficient and effective in water management worldwide and has been commonly adopted in areas where water availability is limited.

Oscar further said “Excessive irrigation moves nutrients below the root zone and should be avoided. Even with fertigation, over-irrigation can result in severe nutrient deficiency, wastage and reduced crop yields, particularly with tomatoes hence, precise management of water is essential”.

With drip irrigation, fertigation facilitates the application of nutrients for a second use of a particular soil for a crop. The use of fertigation does not change the fertilizer requirements of a particular crop. Total fertilizer nutrient requirements vary with location, soil type and crop. Proper management of the first crop leaves little residual nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) for the second crop, which should then be fertigated with nutrients as required for the first crop. Therefore, growers should use fertilizers on the basis of soil fertility and crop needs.

All soluble nutrients can be applied effectively by fertigation with drip irrigation, because they move readily with the irrigation water, besides other needed non-soluble nutrients that are applied directly to the soil.

The scheduling of nutrient application with drip irrigation is critical to the efficient use of nutrients and should always be adjusted as per the stage and needs of the crop.

Through drip irrigation, we also save a lot in terms of weed management in that water and nutrients go directly to the target plant’s root section, with no extra expense of manual application of soluble fertilizer and also limited foliar wetting which always leads to the development of diseases.