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A fertilizer injector is a piece of farming equipment used by farmers to reduce labor when fertilizing a large number of crops. They accomplish this by combining water-soluble fertilizer and water in a tank and then expelled by the injectors onto waiting crops. This process is known as fertigation (wiki link?). By injecting a specified amount of concentrated fertilizer into the device, the injector mixes this into what is called a stock solution. To avoid overfertilization of plants that would result in the plant's death, the precise ratio of fertilizer to water must stay consistent. The concentrated fertilizer solution is stored and mixed in a stock tank and then uniformly distributed throughout the irrigation system. This distribution system provides more convenience over using dry fertilizers and ensures adequate supply of nitrogen to the plant growth.

Electrical conductivity meters (wiki link) (EC) are used in conjunction to fertilizer injectors to ensure proper nitrogen in the soil. Using an EC, nitrogen level tests affirms that samples taken are showing that the mixing procedure for the injector is correct. By taking a control group and subtracting the EC value of the untreated water, it’s effectively showing the percentage of nitrogen that is required in the soil.

Injector Ratios

Fertilizer injector ratios are dependent on how much stock solution will be released with a set amount of water passing through the injector. Nonadjustable (fixed) fertilizer injector ratios traditionally are designed to release a specified amount depending on the model. Adjustable fertilizer injector ratios are preferred by a majority of growers to ensure that crops with varying nutrient requirements are accounted for.

Types of injectors

·       Venturi-type

·       Positive displacement Injector

·       Dosatron Injectors

·       Anderson Injector

·       Smith Injector

·       Gewa Injector