3 Fertigation Mistakes That Are Harming Your Avocado Yields (and How to Fix Them Using Israeli Techniques)

Introduction

Over the past few years, I’ve personally spoken to hundreds of avocado farmers across India. Thanks to my videos and field demonstrations, many have perfected the planting technique.

However, most avocado farmers still struggle to achieve the kind of growth I’ve demonstrated in my orchard — or that my friend Ronak has achieved in his.

The main reason? They often make three crucial mistakes in their fertigation schedule.

1. Using the same fertilizer ratio throughout the plant’s life cycle

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” NPK ratio for avocados. Fertilizer requirements depend on both the phenology (growth stage) and age of the tree.

Phenology

• Nitrogen (N) must be applied year-round, even in winter. Research shows that while avocado trees slow down in cold months, root growth continues, so nitrogen uptake still happens.
• Phosphorus (P) is most important during flowering, but not during winter dormancy.
• Potassium (K) is critical for fruit development — but applying it during the flowering stage can reduce nectar attractiveness to honey bees, leading to lower pollination and yields.

Age

The age of your orchard also significantly affects nutrient requirements. A young orchard will need a different ratio than a mature, fruit-bearing one.

2. Using urea during winters for nitrogen needs

Urea isn’t directly absorbed by plants. It must first go through a process called ammonification to become available to the roots. This process slows down considerably during winter due to lower soil temperatures.

Hence, urea is not recommended during the winter months. Instead, use nitrogen sources that are immediately available, such as calcium nitrate or ammonium sulfate.

3. Not accounting for nutrients already present in your soil and water

When I started, I was applying a ratio of 5:3:5 during the first two years of my orchard. However, after conducting soil and water tests, I discovered that my irrigation water already contained enough potassium to meet the orchard’s needs.

As a result, I adjusted my fertigation ratio to 8:3:0, which not only optimized the nutrition but also saved significant fertilizer costs.

Learn Precision avocado fertigation from Israeli experts

If you want to design a scientific, data-driven fertigation plan, we’ve launched the Avocado Fertigation Course — featuring two leading Israeli experts:

• Hedva Peer Avishai
• Lior Avishai

You’ll get:
– 6 in-depth digital modules (5+ hours of content)
– English lectures + Hinglish versions by me and Ronak
– Detailed PDF notes for every module

The course is priced at ₹15,000 for the first 100 farmers, and will later increase to ₹25,000.

Enroll Today, here is the link.