What Do You Need to Know About Drip Fertigation?

Ⅰ. Can organic fertilizer be used in drip irrigation?

The drip irrigation system is a liquid pressure water delivery system and obviously cannot directly use solid organic fertilizer. But we can use the biogas slurry made of organic fertilizer, and apply it after sedimentation and filtration.

Chicken manure, pig manure, etc. are filtered and used after composting. A three-stage filtration system is used, which is first filtered with a 20-mesh stainless steel mesh, then filtered with an 80-mesh stainless steel mesh, and finally filtered with a 120-mesh lamination filter. Through the drip irrigation system, the application of liquid organic fertilizer not only overcomes the drawbacks that may be caused by the simple application of chemical fertilizers, but also saves labor and trouble, fertilization is uniform, and the fertilizer effect is remarkable.

Ⅱ. What are the common methods of fertilizing through drip irrigation systems?

Depending on the arrangement of the drip irrigation system, a variety of fertilization methods can be used. Commonly used are gravity fertilization method, pump suction method, pump injection method, bypass tank fertilization method, Venturi fertilization method, proportional fertilization method, etc.

Which fertilization method to use should consult a professional or refer to more detailed information.

Ⅲ. What problems should we pay special attention to in drip fertigation?

1. The problem of excessive irrigation

The biggest concern with drip irrigation filter system is over-irrigation. Many users always feel that drip irrigation produces less water, and they are not at ease, and as a result, the irrigation time is prolonged. One consequence of prolonged irrigation time is wasting water, and another consequence is that nutrients that are not absorbed by the soil are leached below the root layer, wasting fertilizer, especially nitrogen leaching.

Usually, water-soluble compound fertilizers contain urea and nitrate nitrogen, which are the most easily washed away. Excessive irrigation often presents symptoms of nitrogen deficiency, yellowing of leaves, and stunted plant growth.

2. The problem of pipe washing after drip irrigation and fertilization

Generally, drip water first, and start fertilizing after the pipe is completely filled with water. In principle, the longer the fertilization time, the better. After fertilization, continue to drip water for half an hour to discharge all the residual fertilizer in the pipeline. Many users do not wash the pipe after drip irrigation and fertilization, and finally algae and microorganisms grow on the dripper, causing the dripper to be blocked. The exact time of dripping water can be monitored with a conductivity meter.

4. How to avoid excessive irrigation in the process of drip irrigation and fertilization?

Drip fertilization only irrigates and fertilizes the root system. It is therefore important to know the depth of the root distribution of the crops being managed. The easiest way is to dig through the root layer with a small shovel to see the depth of the wetting, so you can judge whether there is excessive irrigation. Or put tensiometers in the ground to monitor the depth of irrigation.