What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture ?
- Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible.
- Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible.
- Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible.
- Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible.
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UPSC IAS – 2020
2. **Efficient application of Phosphatic fertilizers:** While some soluble phosphatic fertilizers (e.g., monoammonium phosphate – MAP, diammonium phosphate – DAP after dissolution, urea phosphate) can be efficiently applied through fertigation, highly insoluble phosphatic fertilizers like rock phosphate are not suitable for fertigation systems as they can clog emitters and are not readily available to the plant in solution. Therefore, efficient application of *all* phosphatic fertilizers, particularly rock phosphate, is *not* possible via fertigation.
3. **Increased availability of nutrients:** Delivering nutrients directly to the active root zone in solution form enhances their availability and uptake by the plants compared to broadcasting or banding.
4. **Reduction in leaching:** Precise application of nutrients based on plant needs and growth stage, along with water management through irrigation, can reduce the amount of nutrients that leach below the root zone, minimizing environmental pollution and nutrient loss.