Inspection Services Blog

Fertigation Short Course

What: A one-day short course on fertigation is being offered by the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC) with funding from the Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP). The course covers new techniques in the control and application of fertilizers through irrigation systems, and strategies to comply with new nitrogen regulations in California.


Grants to Begin Funding January 2018

The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is pleased to announce the award of almost $800,000 in grant funds to agricultural organizations and universities this year. These grants will fund four projects that will improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of using fertilizer in California agriculture and will advance …


Grower Training Sessions to Certify Nitrogen Management Plans

Regulations adopted by the Central Valley Regional Water Board require growers to prepare an annual Nitrogen Management Plan (NMP) for land enrolled in the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. If a growers’ fields are located in high vulnerability areas, their NMPs must be certified. Certified Crop Advisers with Nitrogen Management Training can certify these plans or growers can opt to self-certify.


2018 Request for Proposals

The Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) funds and facilitates research to advance the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use of fertilizer in California. The FREP grant program uses a two-phase annual process. Phase I, the submission of concept proposals, is now open! Each year, research priorities are released in December with the Request for Proposals (RFP). Proposals may focus …


Research Update: New Fertigation Book

Research Project: New Fertigation Book Status: Last year of a two year study Issue: There are many fertilizer publications and research papers. However, few of these resources focus on pragmatic chemical applications via irrigation water – especially in light of special California drought conditions. An older publication of FERTIGATION has been an extremely important reference for practitioners in California.  But …


Registration Now Open for 2017 FREP/WPHA Conference

Every fall, the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) host a two-day nutrient management conference. The agenda focuses on the latest FREP-funded research results and practical applications of fertilizing materials for agricultural production in the state of California. On November 1 and 2, 2017, the FREP/WPHA Conference will be held …