FREP Website Resources
Author Archives: Karen Adler
CDFA Awards $1.15M for Research and Education Projects to Improve Nutrient and Irrigation Management
CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) has announced $1.15 million in awards to five new projects. The projects will advance California growers’ understanding and implementation of improved nutrient and irrigation management practices. This funding is a result of the 2024 competitive FREP Grant Program. Summary of Funded Projects: Monitoring and Assessing Variability of Nutrient Status in Almond Orchards with Hyperspectral …
Registration Open for 2025 California Plant and Soil Conference
The 2025 California Plant and Soil Conference will be held on February 6 – 7, 2025, at the Wyndham Visalia. The conference is organized by the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy (CA ASA). Registration is now open and early bird registration is available through January 10, 2025. The annual conference provides an opportunity for students, professionals, and …
Research Update: Estimating Nitrogen Removal from the Harvested Portion of Central Coast Crops
Note: This is part of a Research Update series that highlights projects funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) annual grant program. Project Title: Nitrogen Content of the Harvested Portion of Specialty Crops to Estimate Crop Nitrogen Removal and Improve Nitrogen Management in Crops Project Leaders: Richard Smith, University of California Cooperative …
Nitrogen and Irrigation Initiative Provides Free Services to Growers
Background Due to historical overapplication of nitrogen (N) fertilizers, California growers are facing increasingly stringent water quality regulations. This is especially true in intensively cultivated agricultural areas like the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast region, where nitrate from fertilizers and other sources can be found in groundwater. For the communities in these locations that rely solely on wells for …
Research Update: Using High Carbon Amendments to Reduce Winter Nitrate Leaching in Vegetable Rotations
Note: This is part of a Research Update series that highlights projects funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) annual grant program. Project Title: Immobilization of Nitrate in Winter-Fallow Vegetable Production Beds to Reduce Nitrate Leaching Project Leaders: Project Status: Completed in 2023 Project Location: Commercial farms located on the Central Coast …
New Pistachio, Processing Tomato, and Almond Videos Summarize Latest 4R Research and Provide Grower Continuing Education Units
As part of its Crop Nutrient Minute video series, the Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) has recently released videos in English and Spanish for pistachio, processing tomato, and almond production that provide the latest crop-specific information on efficient nitrogen fertilizer applications and irrigation practices that minimize movement of nitrate to groundwater. This video series was funded by a …