Fertigation and Nutrirrigation: Understand the difference and efficiency in grain cultivation

Already consolidated in the nutritional management of various crops such as coffee, citrus, HF, among others, fertigation and nutrirrigation are also helping grain producers to increase productivity resulting from the simultaneous supply of water and nutrients with high efficiency to the plants.

Soybean, corn and bean producers have achieved excellent results through technology, which shows that we can still evolve in relation to crop nutrition, providing water and nutrients proportionally, according to crop demand, increasing efficiency, avoiding losses and maximizing productivity.

However, many producers still have doubts about the differences between conventional fertigation and nutririgation. Therefore, before we address the benefits of this nutrition strategy, let's clarify the differences between them.

Fertigation is a technique that consists of applying fertilizers through the irrigation system. With fertigation, the farmer has the possibility of improving his conventional fertilization, applying part of the nutrients in more installments, following a previously determined schedule aimed at meeting the plant's needs for its full development and production.

Nutririgation is an evolution of fertigation. This technology, developed by Netafim, allows the producer to irrigate every time he also has the possibility of nourishing the plants. Unlike fertigation, there is no pre-established fertilizer injection schedule. The factors that will determine the need for nutrition are: soil, plant and environment. Nutrirrigation is more technical and precise. To determine the need for fertilizer injection, tools such as soil sensors, solution extractors, conductivity meters, etc. can be used.

Typically, grain producers carry out all broadcast fertilization before planting or in the sowing line and some carry out top dressing a few days after planting. This type of fertilization makes the entire amount intended for the entire crop cycle available at once at a time when the plant still has a low demand for nutrients.

Often, when there is heavy rain, much of this fertilizer can be leached or run off superficially along with the water, no longer becoming available to the plant. When the producer carries out fertigation cycles, he has the possibility of supplying a smaller amount of fertilizers at the beginning of development and distributing the rest at strategic moments in the crop, directly to its root system.

Both fertigation and nutri-irrigation are excellent ways of providing crop nutrition. The choice of strategy will depend on the equipment existing on the farm and the technical profile of the irrigator. This opportunity to provide more technical and efficient nutrition is what allows irrigators who have implemented the Netafim drip irrigation system to achieve above-average results.

João Silva, Netafim Agronomic Specialist