Navsari Agricultural University
Fertigation is an efficient method of fertilizer application through drip or any other system of irrigation. Drip fertigation helps to increase the fertilizer use efficiency make savings in fertilizer costs, reduce labour requirement, enables uniform, precise and direct application to root zone and correction of micronutrient deficiencies etc. Soluble fertilizers viz., urea (for nitrogen), DAP (for phosphorus and nitrogen) and Muriate of potash (for potassium) can be combined and supplied through drip irrigation, after filtering the solutions before adding to the fertilizer tank. The other possibility is to use liquid fertilizers, which are highly soluble and hence there is no clogging problem. But these are costly. Fertigation can be done using a fertigation tank or venturi system. The fertilizer should be applied in the active absorption zone for which the emitter should be placed 1 m away from the bole of the palm. Compared to conventional method, we can save fertilizers up to 50 per cent because of the higher fertilizer use efficiency

Soil and moisture conservation in coconut garden:
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Proper soil and moisture conservation practices are vital for better performance of coconut palms; especially in sloppy and undulating terrains.
 Regular ploughing or digging of the interspaces of coconut palms twice in a year, first at the beginning of the monsoon and second at the fag end of the monsoon helps in moisture conservation.
 Mulching is an important practice for moisture conservation. The coconut basins can be mulched with coir dust, coconut husks, green leaves, dried leaves, organic wastes, and dried coconut leaves. Mulching should be done before the end of monsoon and before the top soil dries up.
 Application of sufficient quantity of organic manure byway of cattle manure, farmyard manure, compost or green leaves improves the soil characteristics and provide nutrients to coconut palms. Organic matter addition enhances moisture retention capacity of sandy soil and the heavy soils are made loose and porous thereby increasing aeration, drainage and water intake. Organic manure also helps in enhancing soil microbial activity and recycling of minerals.
 Husk burial helps to absorb and retain large quantities of water for use by the coconut palms. Husk burial can be done in coconut basins or in the interspace. The beneficial effect of husk burial lasts for seven years. The husk can be buried either in linear trenches taken 3 m away from the trunk, between rows of palms or in circular trenches taken around the palm at a distance of 2 m from the trunk. The trenches may be dug with 50 cm width and 50 cm depth. The husks are to be arranged in layers with concave surface facing upwards and covered with soil.
 Measures such as contour bunding, terracing etc. can be taken up in slopy lands for soil and moisture conservation.
 Half moon bund with pineapple on the bund is one of the best way of in situ harvesting of rain water in the basin area of coconut palms.
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