Fertilization Adapted to Crop Needs: Nutrient Absorption Curves

Fertilization through high-frequency localized irrigation improves the efficiency of plant nutrient use. The advantages of fertigation lie in the ability to apply nutrients directly to the root zone and according to the plant's nutritional demand. This requires understanding nutrient uptake curves over time. Uptake curves reflect the nutritional changes dependent on plant phenology. The objective of this paper is to provide agricultural technicians and producers with updated and summarized information on basic concepts (daily uptake rate, uptake concentration), as well as on determining crop nutrient uptake curves and examples of N, P, and K uptake curves for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and melons grown under greenhouse conditions on the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia.