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Fertigation is, as the name suggests, a cross between fertilising and irrigation. This method of application requires fertiliser to be dissolved in water and then injected into the mainline of the irrigation system. The major advantage of fertiliser being applied in this way is that nutrients arrive at the plant roots in soluble form and can therefore be absorbed readily by the turf plant. |
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For this method to be successful the irrigation system must be efficient and uniform in its coverage.
Nutrients that will be 'locked up' and made unavailable to the plant by soil pH should not be applied using fertigation. For example, iron and manganese are unavailable to plants when the soil has a high pH. Phosphorus becomes unavailable when soil pH is low. In these situations, the specific nutrients should be applied using a boom spray to allow them to be absorbed through the leaves of the plant rather than the roots.
Rates of irrigation need to be closely monitored so that nutrients are not washed down through the soil profile and below the root zone where they are unavailable to the plants and can pose an environmental hazard.
