Compared with traditional surface irrigation and fertilization methods, what are the advantages of integrated water and fertilizer technology?
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Release time:
2020-07-27
The two farm proverbs, “Whether there is a harvest depends on water,” and “A large or small harvest depends on fertilizer,” concisely describe the importance of water and fertilizer in agriculture and their interrelationship. Water-fertilizer integrated technology, which changes from the traditional "soil" method to "watering crops", is an integrated, efficient water-saving and fertilizer-saving technology that not only conserves water resources but also improves fertilizer utilization. Using water-fertilizer integrated technology, according to the fertilizer requirements of different crops, soil conditions, nutrient content, and water requirements during different growth periods, a full-growth-period demand design can be carried out. Water and nutrients are provided to crops at a set time, in a set quantity, and in a set proportion. It facilitates easy control over irrigation time, fertilizer application, nutrient concentration, and the proportion of nutrients. The successful large-scale application of water-fertilizer integrated technology will bring a huge exclamation point to Chinese and world agriculture.
1. Water Saving Water-fertilizer integrated technology can reduce water infiltration and evaporation, improving water utilization efficiency.
Traditional irrigation methods have a water use coefficient of only about 0.45, with more than half of the irrigation water being lost or wasted. The water use coefficient of sprinkler irrigation is about 0.75, and that of drip irrigation can reach 0.95. Under outdoor conditions, micro-irrigation and fertilization saves about 50% water compared to flooding. Under protected cultivation conditions, drip irrigation and fertilization saves 80-120 cubic meters of water per mu per season in greenhouses compared to furrow irrigation, representing a water saving rate of 30%-40%.
2. Fertilizer Saving Water-fertilizer integrated technology facilitates the control of irrigation time, fertilizer application, nutrient concentration, and the proportion of nutrient elements, achieving balanced and concentrated fertilization.
Compared to manual fertilization, the amount of fertilizer used in water-fertilizer integration is quantifiable; crops receive only what they need. Applying fertilizer directly to the crop roots accelerates nutrient absorption and reduces losses from volatilization and leaching.
Water-fertilizer integrated technology has the advantages of simple fertilization, uniform fertilization, timely fertilization, easy absorption by crops, and improved fertilizer utilization efficiency. With similar or the same crop yields, the cost of water-fertilizer integration can save 40%-50% of fertilizer compared to traditional fertilization techniques.
3. Reducing the Occurrence of Pests and Diseases
Water-fertilizer integrated technology effectively reduces the amount of irrigation water and water evaporation, lowers soil and air humidity, and inhibits the generation, reproduction, and spread of pathogens and pests. This significantly reduces the occurrence of pests and diseases, thus reducing pesticide use and labor costs for disease control. Compared with traditional fertilization techniques, pesticide use can be reduced by 15%-30% per mu using water-fertilizer integrated technology.
4. Labor Saving
Water-fertilizer integrated technology uses a pipeline water supply system, is easy to operate and automatically controlled, reducing manual processes like ditch digging and fertilization. This significantly saves labor. Localized irrigation keeps most of the surface dry, reducing weed growth and thus the labor required for weeding. Because water-fertilizer integration reduces pest and disease outbreaks, it also reduces the labor needed for pest and disease control and spraying. Water-fertilizer integrated technology eliminates ditches, canals, and ridges, greatly reducing the workload of water conservancy projects.
5. Increased Yield, Improved Quality, and Increased Economic Benefits
Water-fertilizer integrated technology provides crops with the nutrients and water they need at the right time and in the right amount during different growth stages, significantly improving their growth environment. This promotes crop yield and improves the appearance and nutritional quality of agricultural products. Crops grown using water-fertilizer integrated technology grow uniformly, recover quickly after planting, mature early, have a long harvest period, are high-yielding and high-quality, and are highly adaptable to changes in environmental conditions. Through water and fertilizer control, it’s possible to meet market demands by supplying earlier or extending supply.
6. Easy Crop Management
Water-fertilizer integrated technology only moistens the root zone of crops, keeping the space between rows dry. Even during simultaneous irrigation, other agricultural operations can be carried out, minimizing interference between irrigation and other tillage.
7. Improving the Micro-ecological Environment
In addition to significantly reducing air humidity and temperature in greenhouses, water-fertilizer integrated technology also enhances microbial activity. Compared to conventional furrow irrigation and fertilization, soil temperature can increase by 2.7℃. This enhances soil microbial activity, promotes nutrient absorption by crops, and improves soil physical properties. Drip irrigation overcomes soil compaction caused by irrigation, reducing soil bulk density and increasing porosity. This effectively controls waterlogging, salinization, and other soil-related problems for the root system.
8. Reducing Environmental Pollution
Water-fertilizer integrated technology strictly controls irrigation water and fertilizer application, preventing fertilizers and pesticides from leaching into deeper soil and polluting soil and groundwater. This minimizes agricultural non-point source pollution caused by nitrates.
Furthermore, water-fertilizer integrated technology enables crop cultivation and maximum yield potential in thin, poor, and inert soil. It effectively utilizes and develops marginal lands such as hills, mountains, sandy areas, and mildly saline-alkali land.
Water-fertilizer integration has numerous advantages: water saving, fertilizer saving, reduced pest and disease incidence, labor saving, increased yields, improved quality, increased economic benefits, easier crop management, improved micro-ecological environment, and reduced environmental pollution. It benefits the nation and the people and promotes sustainable ecological development. We hope the government will provide greater support for agricultural water-fertilizer integration, especially water-fertilizer integrated machines, which add a more scientific and intelligent dimension to water-fertilizer integration.
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