Subsurface Drip Fertigation: A Tool for Practicing 4R Nutrient Stewardship in Sugarcane

Subsurface drip fertigation, an advanced method for co-application of water and nutrients following the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship (right source, rate, time, and place), has the capability to deliver nutrients uniformly within the effective root volume zone where most of the active roots are concentrated.
When adopted in the sugarcane fields of Tamil Nadu, this system demonstrated an overall increase in cane yield of 62 t/ha while improving nutrient use efficiency and farm net income.