UPSC Prelims 2020 Important topics: The Benefits of Fertigation and Irrigation Control
Irrigation – the process of artificially applying water to plants – has been in practice since as early as 6000 BC.
There have been many advances in irrigation since then, and today’s technologies have made it easier than ever to control water flow as well as fertilizers, nutrients, and other chemicals.
- What is Irrigation Control?
- What is Fertigation?
- Volumetric Injectors
- Controlling Injection with Electrical Conductivity
- Combining Fertilizer Injection with pH (Alkalinity) Control
- The Future of Fertigation and Irrigation Control
What is Irrigation Control?
Irrigation control is a technique used to manage an irrigation system. Irrigation control systems manage electric valves that regulate the flow of water through piping systems. Automatic irrigation controllers allow water to flow to specific crops, or zones, based on a triggers such as time, soil conditions, solar radiation accumulation, environmental controls, and other algorithms. This type of automation can be complex, since water must be applied to plants in specific volumes over varying amounts of time.
What is Fertigation?
Fertigation is the process of running fertilizer through irrigation water. The practice of running plant nutrients through irrigation systems has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. As careful water management and sustainability become more common issues, the need for high yields of superior-quality crops has increased. Because of this, more growers are exploring the advantages of combining their water and fertilizer applications.
The Benefit of a Fertigation System
Fertigation increases efficiency by delivering water and nutrients directly into the root zone, where they’re most needed. This results in the need for less fertilizer and water. Other potential advantages of fertigation include flexibility, saving on labor and energy costs, and the ability to add nutrients that may be otherwise difficult to apply.
Properly automated commercial greenhouses, hydroponics operations, and agricultural fields will reduce their costs for chemicals and labor while increasing crop yields and health. Hanna has three customizable options to fit any size facility. The Hanna HI10000 Fertilizer Injection System can accommodate flow rates from 1 gallon per minute (GPM) to 350 GPM (or 5 GPM-750 GPM with an expanded manifold) while the HI5000 and HI2500 are available for growers with smaller operations.
This level of flexibility coupled with remote access allows the entire fertigation process to be monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world, saving you time and giving you more freedom.