Benefits of Nutrient Dosing Systems
Automated nutrient delivery systems can be expensive, and sticker shock can intimidate growers into putting off the upgrade. However, the vast...
3 min read
Marcus Baldinger
:
Sep 28, 2022 8:00:00 AM
The US cannabis industry has become one of the fastest growing markets, with an overall increase in sales of 29.9 billion USD from 2015-2022. This growth has sparked interest from other markets, allowing for an increase in innovation from a technical standpoint and overall cultivation techniques used to grow high-quality, consistently high-yield produce. One practice starting to get implemented more commonly in the sector is fertigation. Cannabis fertigation offers tremendous benefits regarding dosing management, resource optimization, and, most importantly, consistency. Let's dive in deeper to learn more about how your cannabis farm can benefit from this new era of agricultural technology.
What is fertigation?
Simply put, fertigation is a process that combines fertilization and irrigation. Nutrients are injected into an irrigation system to help aid in the reduction of water needed, absorption of vital nutrients, and overall reduced runoff.
How does cannabis fertigation work?
A fertigation system precisely doses balanced nutrient recipes directly to plants or batch tanks. Because a fertigation system's primary job is accurate nutrient delivery, the more advanced options will have targeted EC and pH adjustment. PH and EC sensors are typically placed inline to alert the system if there are discrepancies in actual output vs. what is programmed. The system will then automatically adjust the proportions of nutrient injection based on the sensor feedback to guarantee optimal, consistent output.
Fertigation benefits for the cannabis sector.
From a horticultural standpoint, cannabis requires the same nutrients as other commercial crops. The only difference is the unique nutrient ratios required, irrigation frequencies, and variations based on the different stages of growth. Implementing a fertigation system in a cannabis cultivation facility provides immense benefits, including:
Another benefit of fertigation systems is reduced labor costs and time. Because most fertigation systems are automated, it reduces the amount of time and physical workers needed to:
Though the system does require maintenance to keep things running smoothly, it's nothing compared to the time saved by implementing it. Additionally, it reduces human error. When hand mixing fertilizers, it is easy to accidentally add too much or too little of a certain nutrient, causing an imbalance. When hand watering crops without substrate sensors, it's almost impossible to tell when the plant has received enough water until it is too late and runoff has begun. When utilizing an automated fertigation system, these issues become a thing of the past.
All cultivators should understand that pH control is essential to guarantee optimal nutrient absorption. With a fertigation system, you can ensure your feeds stay in the desired range thanks to:
Cannabis requires properly balanced ratios of macronutrients and micronutrients to perform optimally. With the cost of agricultural materials and equipment increasing yearly, obtaining maximum efficiency has never been so important. No fertigation system is complete without the use of substrate monitoring probes. These probes offer live insight into the plant's root zone, supplying moisture content, EC, and temperature data to the fertigation system. This allows your system only to use what is needed, no more, no less. Substrate data can provide knowledge of when enough nutrient water has been supplied, so excess nutrients are not wasted down the drain, literally. As a result, it lowers total wastage and ensures the plants have exactly what they need to thrive.
Where to begin?
Growlink specializes in fertigation and nutrient delivery. Our Fertigation system provides flexibility to choose how you feed. Whether filling multiple batch tanks or feeding directly to your plant's irrigation zones, the Growlink Fertigation Skid can accurately and precisely dose limitless recipes allowing you to automate your entire irrigation strategy from seedling to harvest. If you want to achieve higher yields, better quality crops, and a boost in efficiency, we can help by offering the following:
At Growlink, we offer many services that optimize your growth. Contact one of our knowledgeable representatives today to learn more about how we can help you grow.
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