FREP Awards Projects to Improve Agricultural Fertilizer Management and Water Quality

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is pleased to announce the award of over $1.1 million in grant funds to agricultural organizations and universities. These grants will fund six projects that will improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of fertilizer use in California agriculture and will advance farmers’ understanding and implementation of best management practices for fertilizer and irrigation management.

1. Understanding Influences on Grower Decision-Making and Adoption of Improved Nitrogen Management Practices in the Southern San Joaquin Valley
   University of California Davis, Department of Plant Sciences and Department of Environmental Science and Policy
2. Improving Nitrate and Salinity Management Strategies for Almonds Grown under Micro-irrigation
   University of California Davis, Department of Plant Sciences
3. Assessing Drip Irrigation and Nitrogen Management of Fresh Onions Produced in California Low Desert
   University of California Desert Research and Extension Center, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California
4. Promoting the Adoption of Soil Nitrogen Quick Tests by Spanish-Speaking Operators on Strawberry Ranches in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties
   Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (SCCRCD)
5. Efficient Water and Nitrogen Management Practices for Mixed Leafy Baby Green Vegetables in the Desert
   University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences
6. Pima Cotton Nitrogen Management, Uptake, Removal – Impacts of Varieties, Subsurface Drip and Furrow Irrigation
   University of California West Side Research and Extension Center, University of California Davis, Department of Plant Sciences

See the CDFA news release for more information about the projects.