Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during two successive growing seasons, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to evaluate the effect of different fertilizer application methods on date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) yield and fruit quality grown in sandy soil. Strip block statistical design with three replicates was used on four selected date palm cultivars (Madjool, Sacchari, Kheyarah and Sggaa) as main treatments and three fertilizer application methods (Hydraulic injector, Surface Broadcast and By-pass tank) as sub main treatments. The results revealed significant increases in yield and fruit quality when using continuous fertigation by Hydraulic injector comparing with broadcast and By-pass tank traditional methods. The average of two seasons results indicated also that using Hydraulic injector method maximized Sacchari date yield by producing 69 kg per tree and resulted in the best water productivity (1.06 kg m-3). The use of fertigation method has significantly increased the date palm productivity by 81, 51.2, 66.7 and 72.8% in comparison to the traditional Surface Broadcast method for Madjool, Sacchari, Kheyarah and Sggaa, respectively. The mean fruit weights were significantly increased by 56.5, 72.1, 90.2 and 68.8% when using the hydraulic injector compared to the traditional broadcast application method for pervious date palm cultivars, respectively.  
Highlights
Water and nutrients are the most crucial inputs for date palm cultivation and their application through micro irrigation systems is very important as a mean of increasing land, water and fertilizer use efficiency (Papadopoulos, 1997a)
The results obtained clearly indicated that all tested fertigation treatments (Hydraulic injector and By-pass tank) significantly increased the yield, average fruit weight and water productivity compared with the control (Broadcasting) in 2015 and 2016 growing seasons (Table 2)
For all date palm cultivars, the results showed that the yields were higher with the applications fertilizer using Hydraulic injector than with using the Broadcasting and By-pass tank methods in both studied growing seasons
Summary
Water and nutrients are the most crucial inputs for date palm cultivation and their application through micro irrigation systems is very important as a mean of increasing land, water and fertilizer use efficiency (Papadopoulos, 1997a). The main challenges facing the agriculture development in arid regions are water, land and aridity as well as the efficient way to provide crops with an optimal quantity of water and nutrients throughout the growing season. Fertigation is considered the solution to this challenge, whereby both water and fertilizers are delivered to crops simultaneously through the irrigation system. Well-balanced fertigation program will satisfy the exact needs of the plant as they change along the season, increase efficient use of water and fertilizers, increase yield, protect the environment and sustain irrigated agriculture
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