General Information
FREP Publications
Nitrogen Fertilization Recommendation Model for Almonds
Nitrogen is one of the primary fertilizers used in California almond orchards to maintain productivity. Excessive amounts of N fertilizers applied can result in groundwater contamination without improving crop yield or maximizing grower returns. Almond N demands can be predicted by considering a number of parameters, including yield history, current conditions, and previous N applications. By timing N applications with periods of greatest demands, considering all other N sources, and matching N application rates with crop load, growers can minimize N losses from the orchard system and optimize almond fertilization. This model is a user-friendly program and can be an excellent tool for almond growers and advisors. More...
Production Guide for Cool-Season Vegetables
The main cool-season vegetables grown in California are lettuce, broccoli, celery, cauliflower and cabbage. The majority of these vegetables are grown in the central and southern coastal areas in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. These highly productive systems depend on the use of nitrogen fertilizers and a ready supply of irrigation water. Unfortunately, because of shallow root systems, water and nitrogen use efficiency of these vegetable crops is quite low. This results in leaching of nitrate to the groundwater and increasing nitrate groundwater levels which is the primary source of drinking water supply in much of the coastal area. More...
Compost Production and Utilization: A Grower's Guide
Compost is the result of a dynamic, biological process of decomposing organic matter. It is used to improve soil properties and to supply nutrients. . . The purpose of this publication is to provide farmers and agricultural advisors with practical information on the production and use of compost, including an understanding of the benefits of compost, the basic biological processes involved in its production, and a technique to determine the proportions of various materials needed to make a quality blend. More...