An inventive technique that enables potato farmers in Turkey to combine water with fertilizer and send it to their plants through a precisely targeted drip irrigation system has greatly reduced farmers’ need for water and fertilizer. The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture introduced the method, known as “fertigation” as a way to help farmers increase their profits by cutting back on expenses, while at the same time avoiding potential harm to the environment that can result from over use of nitrogen fertilizers. As a result, some farmers report reducing their need for water and fertilizer by half while maintaining the same potato yields. Both the national and provincial governments are so pleased with the programme, they now provide subsidies to the farmers for investment costs of the drip irrigation system.
Throughout the potato producing areas of Turkey, large sprinkler irrigation systems spray water across the fields. This system has helped make Turkey one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of potatoes. Yet, it turns out, only 35 percent of that water actually benefits the potatoes. The other 65 percent is wasted. It either runs off the packed earth or it soaks through to the soil that is below the plant root.
This water waste also impacts other aspects of potato production. Because potato is such a high value cash crop, Turkey’s farmers fertilize intensively, using water-soluble nitrogen fertilizers. Again, if the sprinkler irrigation system uses too much water, it can dilute the fertilizer and decrease its efficiency. This is especially critical considering the expense of purchasing the fertilizer and the environmental damage it can cause if used incorrectly.
In order to overcome this unnecessary waste and potential environmental hazard, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has introduced an innovative irrigation technology that means enormous savings for farmers – reducing water use by 50 percent and fertilizer use by 40 percent. Known as “fertigation”, this system combines drip irrigation which uses a series of pipes and tubes to deliver small amounts of water directly to the plant with fertilization – sending the fertilizer through the same tube system as the water, straight to the roots where it needs to be. This ensures that no extra fertilizer is left above the ground to be absorbed into the atmosphere and that no extra fertilizer leaks deep into the soil where it has the potential to make the groundwater poisonous for human consumption.
