S06 - Session O8 - Keynote: Innovations and insights into fertigation management for a protected cultivation in transition

Authors: Daniele Massa *, Luca Incrocci, Rodney Thompson

Since its development in the eighties, fertigation signalled a new era for crop nutrition in intensive cropping systems. However, greenhouse production is a highly dynamic sector, which is in continuous evolution to meet changing market requirements, and to incorporate developments in technology and operational management. The delivery of nutrients and water to the crop is continuing to evolve because of the high potential of fertigation to improve produce yield and quality. Although crop yield remains the main goal, produce quality is becoming increasingly important in various agricultural sectors because of the increasing demand by consumers for high quality produce. The use of organic fertiliser, to meet the demand for organic production, as well as the recent introduction of biostimulant products are aspects that will require attention for the future development of fertigation. Another example is biofortified food, which can be obtained by fertigation, but some issues can arise from its application. The recirculation of nutrient solution in soilless cropping is limited in some cultivated areas due to water salinity. The spread of pathogens is also a concern for the management of closed-loop cultivation systems. Therefore, some emerging technologies like non-thermal plasma and other pre-irrigation and/or drainage water treatments are of high interest. Poor quality water can limit the efficiency of fertigation in both soilless and soil-grown crops due to the necessity to leach salts, which in turn can be environmentally harmful. To deal with these issues, tools like lysimeters and dielectric sensors have been examined for crop and soil monitoring. Currently, sap-flow and other sensors to predict actual crop requirements and therefore to drive fertigation are being evaluated. This work reports an overview of the current situation regarding strengths and constraints, and the future major opportunities and uncertainties for the use of fertigation in modern greenhouse cultivation.