Discussion on the effect of fertigation on crop productivity and how it helps to achieve higher nutrient use efficiency

1. SEMINAR
on
“Effect of Fertigation for increase the
crop productivity and nutrient use
efficiency’’

2. Productivity of crops is based on effective utilization of
water and fertilizers along with other nutrients . Provision of
optimum quantity of water and fertilizer in most cost
efficient manner is the challenge facing the Farmer for
profitable farming . The answer to the challenge is
fertigation , where both water and fertilizers are delivered
to crops simultaneously through a micro irrigation system .
Introduction

3. –
Fertigation
Application of fertilizer through irrigation systems is
referred as fertigation .
FERTIGATION= FERTILIZER + IRRIGATION

4. History of fertigation
This technique was first started in the late 1960’s in Israel
In the year 1970 Arscott first reported that urea applied through
irrigation system was more efficient than hand broadcasting on soil
surface
By 1980, over one million hectare was brought under drip
irrigation.
After few decades, it became a hi-tech, efficient and a potential
method in modern agriculture resulting in higher yields with
improved quality of the crop produce.

5. Crop suited for fertigation
•In India ,fertigation is not common for food crops.
To a limited extent , fertigation is used for cash
crop like Sugarcane and cotton .
•Orchard crops like banana , Citrus, Guava ,
vegetables like Tomato , chilli , Brinjal, cabbage
cauliflower etc. and flowers like Rose Carnation ,
Gerbera are the major crops under fertigation .

6. Advantages of Fertigation
Increased in yield by 25-30 %
Improve Fertilizer use efficiency .
Fertilizer application is more accurate and uniform distribution .
Nutriet can be applied as per plant requirement .
Minimizes nutrient losses through leaching & Evaporation .
Nutrients are immediately available to plant
 Saving in time, labour, energy .
Helps in effective weed management.

7. Limitations
Initial investment is high
Chemical reaction in drip system leading to corrosion and
precipitation of fertilizer
Clogging of emitter.
Concentration of the solution decreases as the solution
dissolve. This may lead to poor nutrient placement.
Possible pressure loss in the main irrigation line.

8. Component of drip irrigation

9. Dosification
There are two types of fertigation the type of fertigation
chosen depends on the crop grown, the soil type and farm
management system.
•Quantitative fertigation
•Proportional fertigation

10. Proportional
•The nutrients are is applied in a constant and proportional
ratio to the water sheet, so that the irrigation water takes a
fixed concentration of the applied fertilizer.
•In this case the fertilizers are applied by direct injection
through fertilizer pumps.

11. Quantitative fertigation
•It is the application of the plant nutrients in predetermined
concentrations to the irrigation system.
• The fertilizer is applied in a pulse after a certain water
sheet without fertilizer using a fertilizer tank.

13. Fertilizer injection methods
Modern fertigation equipment should be able to
regulate:
• Quantity applied
•Duration of applications
•Proportion of fertilizers
•Starting and finishing time

15. Pressure differential (by-pass tank)
• A pressure differential tank system is
based on the principle of a pressure
differential created by a valve, pressure
regulation, elbows or pipe friction in the
mainline.
• The pressure difference forces the water
to enter through a by-pass pipe into a
pressure tank which contains the fertilizer,
and to go out again, carrying a varying
amount of dissolved fertilizer

16. Vaccum injection (Venturi)
This method uses a venturi device to cause a reduced
pressure (vaccum) that sucks the fertilizer solution into
the line

17. Pump injection
Pumps are used to inject the fertilizer
solution from a supply tank into the line.
Injection energy is provided by electric
motors, hydraulic motors (diaphragm
and piston)

19. Characteristics of fertilizer suitable for fertigation
• High nutrient content ,readily available to plants.
• Fully water soluble at field temperature condition.
• No clogging of filters and emitters.
• Low content of insoluble's (.02%)
• Compatible with other fertilizers.
• Minimal interaction with irrigation water.
• No drastic changes of water pH .

20. Nutrient which can be fertigated
Nitrogen fertigation
Nitrogen is most commonly used nutrient through drip
fertigation.
Almost all nitrogenous fertilizer are suitable for drip
fertigation except Ammonium sulphate which causes
precipitation of Ca sulphate and Mg sulphate.
Urea is well suited for fertigation it is readily dissolve in non
ionic form and does not react with the substance dissolve in
water.

21.  Liquid fertilizers are best for fertigation as they readily
dissolve in irrigation water . But lack of easy availability
and high cost restrict their use .
 Fertigation using granular fertilizers pose several
problems like difference in their solubility in water ,
compatibility among different fertilizers and problem of
filtration of undissolved fertilizers.

22. Drip Drip fertigation
Localized Uniform
Surface irrigation
Leaching
Nutrient distribution pattern

25. Nutrient Use Efficiency -
Efficiency is defined as the amount of product
produced per unit of resource used.
Three types of efficiency are classified by Craswell and
Godwin (1984):
• Agronomic efficiency
• Physiological efficiency
• Apparent recovery efficiency

26. Import of fertilizers of values Rs 34600 crores (2012-
13).
Loss of Rs 2900cr. In India due to losses of N fertilizer.
1% increase in NUE in N & P will save Rs. 10056
million.
Human health issue- in Punjab & Haryana ground water
samples had Nitrate-N of >22mg/L.
Why NUE ???
Source:-https://www.fertilizer.org/statistics

27. Indices of nutrient use efficiency

32. Need of fertigation in Sugarcane???
For efficiently manage water and fertilizer is the adoption of
micro-fertigation technology for increasing the WUE of up to
70-90% and saving in nutrient by 40-50%.
In order to meet the demand of growing population we
need to produce around 415 M tonnes by 2020
It is recognised that out of total fertilizer application only
50-60% of the nutrient enter into the plant and rest is
waste.

33. Sugarcane being a giant crop producing huge quantity of
biomass generally need high amount of nutrient.
The cost of chemical fertilizer also increased and there is
a need of increase FUE. The best answer to challenge is
FERTIGATION.
Fertigation ensures that essential nutrients are
supplied precisely at the area of most intensive root
activity according to the specific requirements of
sugarcane crop at that particular stage and type of soil
resulting in higher cane yield and sugar recovery.

34. Fertigation schedule for seasonal (12 month)/
Ratoon sugarcane

35. Possible water use efficiency of different irrigation
systems of Sugarcane

36. Water saving , yield and profit under drip and drip
fertigation systems

37. Fertilizer efficiency of various application methods in
sugarcane
Source - irrigation Agronomy ,S.R. Reddy
G.K. Reddy , kalyani Publishers

38. Yield of sugarcane as influenced by fertigation levels

39. Effect of N through fertigation on yield, quality parameters
in Sugarcane

40. Growth and yield of Sugarcane as influenced by different
levels of Fertigation

41. Economics of Sugarcane as influenced by different
treatments of fertigation

42. Comparison of cane yield, water use and economics of
Sugarcane under SSDF and conventional method

43. Growth and yield of Sugarcane as influenced by different levels
of fertigation

44. Conclusion
•It is concluded that fertigation can play significant role in
sugarcane forming not only to increase the yield and it increase
the quality of sugarcane, but also increase WUE and NUE.
•This require creating better awareness and education both
extension workers and farmers.
•In other words we can say that the fertigation technology is now
the need of the hour.

45. • Hanson, Blaine R., Hopmans, Jan, Simunek, Jirka. "Effect of Fertigation Strategy on
Nitrogen Availability and Nitrate Leaching using Microirrigation". HortScience 2005 40:
1096
• Acquaah G 2002. Principles of crop production. Prentice- Hall of India , New Delhi.
• Bucks DA, Nakayana FS and Warrick 1982. Principle practices and potential of
trickle(drip) irrigation , In: Hilleld (ed) advances in irrigation . Vol. 1, Academic Press,New
York.
• Michael AM 1999. Irrigation: theory and practices. Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd. New
Delhi.
• Minehart j 1976. a guide to application of irrigation water. US agency for International
Devlopment .New Delhi.
• Improving Nutrient Use Efficiency Terry L. ROBERTS* International Plant Nutrition
Institute, 3500 Parkway Lane, Suite 550 Norcross, Georgia 30092 USA Received:
09.01.2008
• http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_nutrientmgt_fertigation.html
• https://www.ipipotash.org/en/presentn/rtifohc.php
• http://www.hillagric.ac.in/research/HJAR/publication/HJAR_Vol/Volume-41(2)/2.HJAR-
41(2)-114-121-2015-Sandal-and-Kapoor.pdf
• http://scienceandnature.org/IJSN_Vol7(4)D2016/IJSN-VOL7(4)16-9.pdf
References