The days of manually calculating numbers on spreadsheets to determine how much liquid fertilizer should be used to fertigate row crops may soon be gone, thanks to a new web-based calculator from Clemson University.

The Clemson Center Pivot Fertigation Calculator is designed to help agricultural producers make more precise fertilizer applications, which will save money and increase crop productivity. This app was developed by Kendall Kirk, a Clemson precision agriculture engineer, with “good advice” from many members of the South Carolina farming community.

“This resource was developed to help producers easily calculate the flow rate of liquid fertilizer and injection pump settings needed to fertigate through a center pivot irrigation system,” Kirk said. “It is designed to make the math a little easier.”

Information required includes fertilizer formulation, pivot size, pivot travel time, fertilizer rate and injection pump manufacturer/model.

Clemson researchers have developed a new calculator row crop farmers can use to fertigate crops through a center pivot irrigation system.

Clemson researchers have developed a new app row crop farmers can use to fertigate crops through a center pivot irrigation system.

After all of the information has been input, the calculator determines liquid fertilizer flow rate required to supply the needed nutrients through a center pivot system, as well as rate per acre of each fertilizer component and recommended injection pump setting. The calculator also creates a fertigation schedule. Results and direct links to the inputs can be sent directly to the producer’s email address.

Ben Fogle, a core technician for the Precision Agriculture program who works with Kirk, said the calculator is convenient in that it can be used anywhere internet is available.

“If a producer is in the field, they can pull out their cell phone and use the fertigation calculation app on their phone,” Fogle said. “This app also can be used on a tablet, on a computer, or anywhere that has internet capabilities. As long as internet is available, this app can be used.”

Convenience is what developers had in mind when they created the calculator, which can be found at https://precisionag.sites.clemson.edu/Calculators/Fertigation/Pivot/.

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