How to Calculate Fertigation Injection Rates for Commercial Blueberry Production (HS1197)

Figure 1. For a 4-foot irrigated band within an 8-foot row spacing, the area that receives fertigation is half of the total, or "real estate," area. Thus, the actual band area of the farm equals 50% of the farm area. However, all IFAS-recommended fertilizer rates are given on a "real estate" acre basis. The amount of fertilizer to apply is calculated based on the entire area of the blueberry farm, regardless of the width of the band to which the fertilizer is applied. To increase nutrient and water use efficiencies and reduce nutrient leaching and environmental concerns, fertigation is recommended for commercial blueberry production. In fact, successful fertigation can enhance sustainability and maximize profitability for commercial blueberry enterprises. One of the key factors in fertigation is the correct calculation of fertilizer injection rate and time for the acreage. This publication helps blueberry growers correctly calculate fertigation injection rates and times and provides reference tables for checking injection rates and times needed for a variety of production scenarios. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Guodong Liu, Jeffrey Williamson, Gary England, and Alicia Whidden, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, March 2012.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1197