Best fertigation practices for optimum young apple tree growth

June 2014 | Rachelle Johnstone, DAFWA | Future Orchards® Western Australia trial report

This trial examined when fertiliser should be delivered during an irrigation event so that nutrients remain available within the root zone of young apple trees rather than moving beyond it. The work continued earlier monitoring in young Kanzi® blocks at Newton Orchards in Manjimup.

The demonstration used FullStop® wet-front detectors installed at two depths—one within the main root zone and another below it—together with tensiometers. The aim was to track water and nitrate movement through the soil profile and relate fertigation timing to the position of nutrients in the active rooting zone.

For growers, the resource highlights the importance of coordinating irrigation duration and fertiliser timing. It provides a useful example of using simple monitoring tools to answer a practical question: whether fertigation is feeding the tree or pushing valuable nutrients below the roots.