What is fertigation and how do I set it up on my drip system?

Fertigation means giving fertiliser through your drip water so it reaches the root zone in small frequent doses instead of one big broadcast. It is one of the main reasons drip pays off, because you use less fertiliser, the crop takes it up better, and you save labour. To set it up you need an injection device at the head: the cheapest is a venturi, which sucks fertiliser solution from a tank using the flow, while a fertiliser tank or an injector pump are other options. You also need a filter after the injection point so undissolved particles do not clog the drippers. Use water soluble fertilisers, dissolve them fully in a tank, and inject during the middle of an irrigation, not at the very start or end, then run plain water for a few minutes at the end to flush the lines. Do not mix fertilisers that react and form a precipitate, for example calcium with phosphate or sulphate based products together, as that clogs emitters. Start with your soil test based dose split into several applications across the crop stages. For the exact crop schedule and safe fertiliser combinations, follow your KVK or the vendor recommendation, and confirm any fertigation equipment included under the subsidy on your state micro irrigation portal.