Multicote Agri at 60-70% of conventional application rates results in: Higher total yields with 65% of conventional application rates, similar yields with 50% of conventional application rates, larger fruits at both Multicote Agri treatments

Shortage of good or even medium quality water for crop irrigation is quickly becoming a major constraint to the ever-growing pursuit after agricultural production increase, much needed for feeding the multiplying population of our planet. Both components of potassium nitrate have been found by numerous researches to have a marked influence on the proper functioning of higher plants and optimizing their performances. Potassium, by being involved in the physiology of over 60 different enzymes, is directly involved in the water management of the plant by maintaining turgor, reducing water loss and wilting and improving drought tolerance. Nitrate has been shown during decades to competently and directly promote water use efficiency as compared to the ammonium form of nitrogen.
Application of potassium nitrate and its derivatives, by either nutrigation or by foliar spray, has directly enhanced fruit mass and quality of numerous crops, while irrigation rate was kept unchanged.

Fertigation-Chemigation are regular and widely accepted practices for fertilization and plant protection under protected agriculture. With fertigation, the nutrients in the form og soluble fertilizers anticipated to most crops needs according to their stage of development, are applied with the irrigation water. The application of plant protectants through irrigation system such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, nematicides, growth regulators and bio control agents has been also expanded rapidly during the last few decades.   However, the application of any chemical to soil and crops may have envarionmental implications, in this work crtical thecnical aspects, the current knowladge anf futuer prospects of fertigation-chemigation for crops yield and improve quality on degradation-free and sustainable basis, are presented.

This publication presents in abbreviated form the fertilization recommendations for vegetable crops based on soil tests performed by the IFAS Extension Soil Testing Laboratory (ESTL). It contains the basic information from which ESTL soil-test reports and fertilization recommendations are generated