Knowledge & tools to manage fertigation technologies in highly productive citrus orchards for minimal environmental footprint

superuser — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:02:20 +0000

High frequency fertigation is being adopted by Australian citrus producers as an alternative to traditional approaches to supplying water and mineral nutrients to trees. Information, guidelines and practical tools to assess performance are insufficient to support the economic & sustainable use of these technologies for citrus production on Australian soils.

IDs and People

Program:

National Program for Sustainable Irrigation

Research Type:

Research Project

Legacy (KMS) Project ID:

DAN5027

Host Organisation:

NSW DPI/SARDI

Researchers:

Michael Treeby

Subjects

Subjects:

Data and Information

Landscape Management

Soils

Irrigation

Keywords:

Citrus

fertigation

nitrate

leaching

management tools

rootstocks

uptake

soil solution

Project Information

Outcomes:

Adoption of practices associated with:

more efficient use of water
more efficient use of mineral fertilisers
reduced on- and off-site impacts of the use of modern irrigation/fertigation technologies
improved awareness and raised understanding of issues underpinning appropriate use of irrigation/fertigation technologies in other high value horticultural crops

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Background

Project Background:

It is generally accepted that drip irrigation is the most efficient irrigation system, and the adoption of drip irrigation systems is generally accompanied by the adoption of technologies that allow nutrient application as frequently as water application. Sometimes these technologies are adopted along with a confidential service agreement, in which case management regimes (i.e. fertiliser recipes) are prescribed. More often, these technologies are being adopted without support, and nutrient supply regimes are based on experience and hearsay, and nutrient inputs often reflect the inefficiencies inherent in delivery technologies used in the past.

Either way, wider knowledge and higher skill levels are needed, and a lack of such skills and that knowledge are an impediment to adoption and to the most efficient use and management of drip irrigation/fertigation technologies by growers. Research and extension organisations have very little or no experience with the newer technologies, and are unable to properly service the skills and information needs of growers. Thus, there is a strong need to demonstrate to industry the integration of modern efficient drip irrigation management with current “best bet” nutrient supply based on advanced understanding of citrus nutrient needs. There is also a strong need to widen the knowledge and skills base of growers and increase the availability of decision support tools. This will enable better decisions to be made in relation to irrigation and nutrient supply to reduce the potential environmental foot print associated with the mismanagement water and nutrient supply.

Aims:

Develop guidelines, practical grower-friendly tools and information packages and provide training for irrigators and support industry for the sustainable and economical use of the new fertigation technologies in citrus production by:

quantifying nutrient capture by roots of commercially relevant citrus rootstock genotypes in relation to supply
establishing commercial-scale demonstration sites of commercially relevant citrus scion varieties growing on commercially relevant rootstock genotypes by re-developing existing plantings to enable short- and long-term responses to nutrient supply to be quantified
developing framework to quantify water and nutrient escape below the rootzone of citrus trees growing in lysimeters
identifying the phenological stages when leaching is most likely to occur
evaluating and demonstrating to industry the efficacy of nutrient capture under different short- and long-term supply regimes using demonstration sites
studying the effect of commonly practiced high intensity fertigation regimes on salt, water and nutrient movement within and below the root zone of the commercially relevant citrus enterprises
calibrating a 2D/3D solute transport model under lysimeters and validate under field conditions for predicting nutrient and water flux beyond the root zone

All in fertigation

Knowledge & tools to manage fertigation technologies in highly productive citrus orchards for minimal environmental footprint