Fertigation , regardless of agro-climate and crops has gained utmost popularity as next generation requirement of agriculture with some glaring changes, use of automated sensors is one of them along with pulse fertigation and biofertigation . However , still hardly any information is available about their partitioning through crop phenological stages , despite the fact that fertigation requirement of most of the crops is now worked out . In this background, i put forth following questions :
i. What are the advances in recent past have taken place in fertigation to perch this technology for next generation requirement ?
ii. How do different nutrients partition across crop phenological growth stages in annual versus perennial fruit crops ?
iii. What are the breakthroughs about biofertigation to have a technology parallel to conventional INM in field ?
iv. What do you think about growing fruit crops under protected cultivation with sensor-based fertigation ?
v. What is the feasibility of nano-fertilizers versus water soluble fertilizers in fertigation ?
vi. Is there any possibility of having nutrient dense crops with fertigation ?
Thanks a lot for your feedbacks.....
Very very interesting questions and research.
I also want to know the answers. Thanks for sharing this topic.
Very interesting and lengthy question and much pertinent to the current situation of doubling the crop production. Most of our research results / studies showed that production can be doubled if drip fertigation is adopted and impact is highly visible in vegetables and short season crops. With respect to perenial crops like coconut, arecanut and pepper, the impact was visible after two years of implementation of drip fertigation.
Nutrient partitioning for annual crops was easy to understand and quantify, whereas for perennial crops it was difficult. However yield improvement was noticed in coconut, arecanut and pepper.
With respect to recent advances biofertigation is proved to be effective in annuals and perennials also
But based on field experience, conventional fertilizers, which are water soluble will meet the purpose and no need to go for highly costly water soluble speciality fertilizers
Most of our studies are with conventional and water soluble fertilizers only. We have not attempted nano fertilizers, but if interested and available , we can attempt that also.
With respect to protected cultivation and sensor based irrigation, it is at primitive stage. With respect to protected cultivation for vegetables, many farmers are doing, however due care has to be given and in many places, farmers feel it is difficult to maintain.
Finally nutrient dense crops with fertigation is a feasible option and I hope that I have attempted most of the questions.
But all are thought provoking and indicating the research need in these areas
nano fertilizes may be water soluble or non soluble both of type. but very high reactivity of watersoluble fertilizers is matter of concern. thus doeses of nanofertilizers should be charaterized with high accuracy.
But how to ensure safety from risk factors of nano-inputs in food production. Long term data shall be needing to ensure safety through generation of toxicity data acute, chronic and ecotoxicity.
Is there any study highlighting the reduction in conventional dose of fertilizers with nano-fertilizers. I doubt ..?. Secondly , field application of nano-fertilizers are restricted upto use use of nano urea only , which is very frequently questined , whethe ror not , such nano-urea could fulfill the nitrogen requiement on a commercial scale..??
You are right, it is still in question mark. Efficiency for nano urea will be more because of quick absorption by the plants. If there is little difference, we should not do at the cost of risk involved for human and environment.
Well said , i agree . Researchers are still hesitant to recommend nano-fertilizers , although there is no doubt about their efficacy.
Secondly , any precise information about the extent to which, the fertilizer requiremnt of any crop is reduced while feeding the crop through nano-fertilizers..??
Dr Malhotra , i suppose you are the fittest person to address these issues more precisely ..
Government of India has given approval to first nano urea product initially for three years. After getting the feedback, it will be reviewed again by the Central Biostimulant Committee.
What about the scope combination biostimulants and how those should be considered by regulatory authorities for registration purpose?
Nice suggestion Dr Malhotra . This is where role of bio-fertigation comes into play to ensure better water as well as nutrient-use-efficiency.
Next generation agriculture is going to survive by concepts like hydroponics/aeroponics( Either on protected cultivation or on open field basis), fertigation fitted with variable rate application , microirrigation with microbially loaded organic fertilizers etc. Fertigation has becoming a common technology adopted by the farmers under protectively cultivated and protectively irrigated situations. Fertigation has some specific advantages over broadcast and band fertilization: (1) a frequent supply of nutrients reduces fluctuation of nutrient concentration in soil; (2) there is efficient utilization and precise application of nutrients according to the nutritional requirements of the crop. When we grow tomato under protected condition the harvesting is 4-5 times more than what we get under normal conditions. Accordingly the crop must be fertilized with the adequate amount of nutrients through fertigation to meet the requirement of the crop, as we are harvesting several times failing which the yield in subsequent harvest will be affected.
Fertigation is the injection of fertilizers, used for soil amendments, water amendments and other water - soluble products into an irrigation system. Nano-fertilizers are getting importance in sustainable agriculture in increasing crop production, enhancing nutrient use efficiency and reduction in wastage of chemical fertilizers and cost of cultivation. Nano-fertilizer have large surface area and particle size less than the pore size of leaves of the plant which can increase penetration into the plant tissues from applied surface and improve nutrient use efficiency and uptake of the nutrients.
No doubt about Nano technology is an array for the future generations. But, all the conventional fertilizers cannot be replaced by the Nano fertilizers. Present research was completely only on urea, research is going on for the remaining fertilizers like Nano phosphorous, Nano zinc, Nano magnesium etc.
Fertigation keeps the soil in wapsa condition, the field always at field capacity where soil nutrients are optimally available to the plants.
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