Need Help Figuring Out Fertigation? There’s an App for That
Most vegetable growers agree that proper fertilization and irrigation are important for their crops. But just how much fertilizer is enough? Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service researchers have taken the guesswork out of this equation by creating a calculator that determines the amount of liquid fertilizer needed to fertilize through drip irrigation systems in a process called “drip fertigation.”
The Clemson Drip Fertigation Calculator is designed to help South Carolina vegetable farmers achieve the greatest returns on their investments while protecting the environment. This free web-based calculator (app), developed by Justin Ballew, Kendall Kirk, Rob Last and Zack Snipes, helps farmers make more precise fertilizer applications. The researchers say using it will help save money and increase crop productivity.
To use the tool, growers select the fertilizer formulation to be used, pounds of nitrogen needed per acre per day and the amount of acreage to be fertigated. The calculator determines how many gallons of fertilizer are required to supply the needed nutrients through the drip system. The app has a drop-down menu for users to input the age of a crop to help determine crop nutrient demands at that stage of development. Those recommendations are cross-referenced from the Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook and the N.C. Strawberry Association’s Strawberry Plasticulture Guide.
“This app makes use of published data for nutrient requirements throughout a crop’s life,” said Last, a Clemson Extension horticulture agent.
For more, continue reading at news.clemson.edu.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
