Fertigation is used extensively in commercial agriculture and horticultural crops. Fertilizer (solid/liquid mineral, single or multiple) application through the drip irrigation/micro irrigation system is the fertigation. It is the most advanced and efficient practice of fertilization. Fertigation combines the application of water and nutrient required for plant growth and development. Fertigation allows an accurate and uniform application of nutrients to the wetted area in the root zone, where the active roots are concentrated. Therefore, it is possible to adequate the nutrients quantity and concentration to their demand through the growing season of the crop. To produce high yield and quality fruits and vegetables the right combination of water and nutrients is the key. Consequently, recommendations were developed for the most suitable fertilizer formulation (including the basic nutrients NPK and microelements) according to the type of soil, physiological stage, climate and other factors. Special attention should be given to the pH and NO3/NH4 ratio, nutrient mobility in soil and salinity conditions. Planning the irrigation system and nutrient supply to the crops according to their physiological stage of development, and consideration of the soil and climate characteristics, result in high yields and high quality crops with minimum pollution. Fertigation is the most efficient method of fertilizers application, as it ensures application of the fertilizers directly to the plant roots. The efficiency of conventional fertilizers application is very low. Fertigation has an edge with regard to nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in comparison to conventional.

Please see following publication:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306092504_Water_Soluble_Fertilizers_in_Horticultural_Crops_-_An_appraisal

Article Water Soluble Fertilizers in Horticultural Crops – An appraisal.

Fertigation is used extensively in commercial agriculture and horticultural crops. Fertilizer (solid/liquid mineral, single or multiple) application through the drip irrigation/micro irrigation system is the fertigation. It is the most advanced and efficient practice of fertilization. Fertigation combines the application of water and nutrient required for plant growth and development. Fertigation allows an accurate and uniform application of nutrients to the wetted area in the root zone, where the active roots are concentrated. Therefore, it is possible to adequate the nutrients quantity and concentration to their demand through the growing season of the crop. To produce high yield and quality fruits and vegetables the right combination of water and nutrients is the key. Consequently, recommendations were developed for the most suitable fertilizer formulation (including the basic nutrients NPK and microelements) according to the type of soil, physiological stage, climate and other factors. Special attention should be given to the pH and NO3/NH4 ratio, nutrient mobility in soil and salinity conditions. Planning the irrigation system and nutrient supply to the crops according to their physiological stage of development, and consideration of the soil and climate characteristics, result in high yields and high quality crops with minimum pollution. Fertigation is the most efficient method of fertilizers application, as it ensures application of the fertilizers directly to the plant roots. The efficiency of conventional fertilizers application is very low. Fertigation has an edge with regard to nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in comparison to conventional.

Please see following publication:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306092504_Water_Soluble_Fertilizers_in_Horticultural_Crops_-_An_appraisal

Article Water Soluble Fertilizers in Horticultural Crops – An appraisal.

Your choice of irrigation system can be response to the availability of water and captilization for the system. The world trend would be favor a drip line system which saves water but is captial intensive. The right system can have the water soluble fertilizer put into the water system centrally. 

 I agreed with answer of DR. SK Malhotra and Dr. Paul

No doubt about it , fertigation opts out to be the most promising option to meet nutrient requirement of wide range of crops , since it relies n the certain well established premise where both WUE and NUE compliment each other across crop phenology . Investigating nutrient density would be another quality criterion to look at while evaluating the respons e of different crops to fertigation...Excellent response from Dr Malhotra...alongside excellent publication on water soluble fertilizers in horticultural crops..

Good feedback Dr Malhotra. I agree with you Dr. Srivastava. Yes, fertigation is the only means of increasing the productivity per drop besides enhancing the quality of the produce. This cost effective too. 

fertigation is good for combining irrigation and fertilisers application but the quality of the water used for irrigation must be ascertained because if it has high saIt content becomes saline fixing nuthrient such as phosphorusand affects crop growth seriously

Really appreciate the answers provided by Dr. S.K. Malhotra and Dr. A.K. Srivastava. Yes, fertigation is the best way of providing nutrients to a crop as it enhances the nitrogen use efficiency significantly (up to 90 %) compared to soil application. This is mainly due to the application of nutrients and water at active root zone in the rhizosphere resulting in maximum absorption of nutrients. Fertigation also helps in enhancement of crop productivity significantly in addition to saving of nutrients. 

We need fertigation technology to be fine tuned with each and every crop that is grown in both non_ irrigated ( those who have provision of some contingency irrigation) and irrigated environment. Fertigation can further be fine tuned with root deficit irrigation or partial deficit irrigation..

I agree with the remarks of Dr. Anoop Kumar Srivastava. A Successful fertigation technique depends on many factors like crop, soil nutrient status, nutrient requirement of crops at different growth stages, water quality (especially particulate load), irrigation depth and even intercropping system. Fertigation is definitely an efficient way to fertilize the crops to save fertilizer as well as irrigation water. But without locale specific standardized technology the investment may not  give expected result.

I agree with all the opinions given so far. But the quality of the fertirrigation is greatly dependent on the design of the irrigation system, especially in the field and thus uniformity of water aplication. Special atention should be giventhis aspect of water application.

It depends on the cropping system.  In many cases, fertigation is the best.  If you are getting lots of rains, there may be an issue with leaching and runoff, but I am not sure how one would mitigate that otherwise. 

In some cases, foliar application of mineral nutrients is the best way to go for tree crops.

In many cases fertigation is the best way of delivering fertilizers to crop. But solubility and compatibility of mixing of fertilizers and crop sensitivity to particular type of fertilizer is need to considered. quantity of water delivered at the time of fertigation is also important factor that makes nutrients to leach out or be on the soil surface itself. best example is potassium will be persist in the top of soil if low volume of water is supplied. 

Perennial crops are considered most potent crops for fertigation , provided complete fertigation scheduling as per crop phenology is available...

In my opinion it depends on the soil characteristics more than the the type of plant. For example, in sandy soil where water and nutrient supply potentials are very low, using fertigation system is a must to provide the plant its water and nutrient requirements during the whole growth stage of plant.

Pleas efind enclosed an excellent editorial ..entitled Fertigation in Perennial Fruit Crops: Major Concerns by  Shirgure PS and Srivastava AK...PDF enclosed

 Yes, it is best practice for high value crops and where water scarcity problem existed. In fertigation, fertilizers are applied through the irrigation water.   Fertigation make highly accurate nutrient supply of nutrients to plants.  A small and frequent application of fertilizers, in right amounts that meet crop requirements, increase the efficiency of nutrient uptake and reduced loses of nutrient. Using fertigation requires careful for effective and avoid any scorching effect.Add your answer

Off course fertigation is best technique for achieving high water and nutrient use efficiency together.