Irrigation systems and nutrient sources for fertigation | A. Fares and F. Abbas

Advances in micro-irrigation techniques have facilitated greater adoption of the application of fertilizers to crops through irrigation water; the technique is termed as fertigation. If fertilizers are applied through irrigation systems, savings of 29–78% in application costs may result due to the improved efficiency of fertilizer application, low fertilizer leaching, precise nutrient application, and right-amount and right-time fertilizer application. Although no significant increases in crop yield have been reported (Alva et al. 2005), uptake of major plant nutrients, i.e., nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, is higher with fertigation than with conventional methods (Papadopoulos 1988).