Fertigation Phoenix

Fertigation Phoenix is the combination of fertilization with irrigation. It uses the irrigation system to deliver a slow, steady supply of nutrients to the entire landscape. Organic and synthetic fertilizers are both commonly used in fertigation, and in some cases, other enhancements are added as well. There are several benefits to this method of fertilization.

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Healthier plants. A fertigation system provides continuous feeding of nutrients at levels that encourage optimal plant health. This slow, steady delivery of nutrients can result in hardier plants that are less susceptible to drought and disease.

Labor savings. With fertigation, the irrigation system does the work. The only labor required is replenishing the supply of fertilizer in the system, monitoring plant health, and making any adjustments as needed. Less waste. With fertigation, nutrients are immediately available to plants in quantities they need. Therefore, a smaller amount of product is needed overall to do the job.

Reduced runoff. Because smaller concentrations of fertilizer are applied and delivered at a rate that can be readily absorbed by plants, there is less of it available for pollution from runoff.

Water savings. Plants that are given a continuous supply of nutrients tend to develop stronger root systems that are able to take in water more effectively so they stay green and healthy with less water. Perhaps the most important of these advantages lies with plant health. ?With traditional fertilization, you offer a ?feast or famine? cycle,? says Tom Patton, president of EZ-FLO Fertilizing Systems. ?You get an initial surge of green that dies back over time. The kind of fertigation we practice, known as ?controlled micro-dosing,? does the opposite. It delivers a very small but very even amount of fertilizer every time you water. You?re providing a nutrientrich environment all the time.? All of this can mean greener landscapes that are less dependent on chemicals and excess water. ?There?s also obviously a huge reduction in labor,? says Dan O?Very, vice president of sales and marketing for Fertile Earth, a Utah-based manufacturer of fertigation systems and plant foods.

?The number-one cost for the contractor is labor. If they can reduce the twenty to thirty minutes they spend walking a property to two or three minutes to change a fertilizer cartridge, that?s something to get excited about.?

With the ‘going green’ movement gaining momentum, are the tables turning in the world of fertilizers?

In the beginning, soil nourishment came from the natural process of decomposing leaves, grass clippings, manure, etc. Early in the 19th century, man created the first phosphorous fertilizer by treating bones with sulfuric acid. Soon after, the bone material was replaced with phosphate rock and fossilized animal waste, and the age of chemical fertilizer was born.

For nearly 200 years, fertilizers enhanced with calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, sulphates and other chemicals were commonly used to maintain healthy turf and plants. Landscape professionals and their clients were quite satisfied with the use and quality of chemical fertilizers. However, as the current movement towards an eco-friendly environment picks up speed, more government agencies and businesses—as well as consumers—are looking for ways to both maintain a healthy landscape and protect the health of the planet.

Humans, animals and plants are living, breathing and growing organisms that need a safe, healthy supply of food and nutrients in order to thrive. Although humans consume plants and animals, and animals consume plants and smaller animals, plants only need to suck up a healthy dose of nutrients directly from the air and soil to keep them healthy, happy and strong.

Of the 14 or so nutrients plants require, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the most essential for proper growth and development. Nitrogen helps make plants green and is a key component of chlorophyll. Phosphorus is for seeding development, cell building, and root growth, while potassium assists in forming starches and proteins that helps plants resist disease and environmental stress.

The absence of any one nutrient in the soil can severely limit plant growth, even when all others are present in adequate amounts. Where Mother Nature is deficient in feeding her green progeny, man is more than willing and able to step in by providing hungry plants with a variety of delicious organic or inorganic (chemical) fertilizers.

Organic vs. inorganic fertilizer

The major benefits of organic fertilizers are that they work slowly, and none of the nutrients are wasted. Organic fertilizers improve the soil’s structure or its “workability.” Soil that’s been fertilized with organic matter is easier to work and allows more air to get to plant roots. The organic material also permits soil to hold water longer and the addition of organic substances increases the bacterial and fungal activity in the soil.

However, because organic fertilizer’s nutrients are slowly released into the soil, it takes a little time to get down to the root zone. One disadvantage of organic fertilizer is that, in general, they are more expensive than the more widely-used inorganic types.

Inorganic fertilizers, on the other hand, are immediately consumed into the soil. They work fast, which can be a boon or a bane, depending on your needs. One of the disadvantages of inorganic fertilizer is that over-watering or rain can push the chemicals beneath the root zone, where they won’t do any good. Also, inorganic fertilizers, if not applied properly, can easily “burn” roots or create a toxic concentration of salts.

Plants can’t taste the difference between organic or inorganic food. The blades of grass don’t care if the nitrogen it’s feeding on came from a cow or a test tube, as long as it’s getting fed. However, with the ever-growing concerns regarding carbon footprints and pollution runoff, your clients are going to care what type of chemicals you’re putting into their property.

What is Chemigation?

Chemigation is the application of pesticides or system maintenance compounds through an irrigation system. Pesticides include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, fumigants, spray adjuvants, and plant growth regulators. Disinfectants, sanitizers, buffering agents, desiccants, defoliants, and sprout inhibitors are also included under the pesticide definition.

What is Fertigation?

Fertigation is the application of a commercial fertilizer, soil amendment, or reclaimed water from food processing and wastewater treatment facilities with irrigation water. A commercial fertilizer is a substance that contains one or more recognized plant nutrients used for its plant nutrient content and is claimed to have value in promoting plant growth. Also included are lime, gypsum, and mixed or specialty fertilizer.

Potential Risks

Chemigation and fertigation can be effective and safe methods of applying certain chemicals to plants or to soil. However, a chemigation or fertigation system cannot draw water from any water supply unless that source is protected from contamination. To protect the water source from contamination, the irrigation system must be equipped with appropriate backflow devices to prevent backpressure and backsiphoning.

The greatest risk of chemigation and fertigation is the potential for accidental backflow of a chemical into the irrigation water source. To prevent contamination, an irrigation system along with anti-pollution safety devices must be properly installed, operated, and maintained. Chemigation or fertigation should not be performed under the following conditions.

Injection of a pesticide or fertilizer into an irrigation system on the suction side of the irrigation pump.
Direct connection of an irrigation system to a public water system.
There are three primary ways that irrigation water sources can be polluted. They are: Chemical in the supply tank and in the irrigation pipeline backflows or is siphoned into the water source when the irrigation system shuts down.
The irrigation system shuts down but the chemigation/fertigation system continues to inject the chemical into the irrigation water supply. With the loss of system pressure or with the reduction in water flow as to adversely affect application rate, the system interlock must discontinue product injection.