FREP/WPH Nutrient Management Conference

Fertilizer Research and Education Program

For over 25 years, FREP has presented its pioneering fertilizer research at annual conferences. Since 2007, FREP has collaborated with the Western Plant Health (WPH) to create a conference that balances technical research with discussion on practical application. Presenters from academia, industry, and agricultural consulting provide general and technical information, current research and data, and practical applications addressing statewide and regional nutrient management issues.


Registration is now open for the 32nd Annual Nutrient Management Conference, hosted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and Western Plant Health (WPH).

This year’s conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay in Seaside, CA, October 29-30 2024, and includes a pre-conference tour of McFadden Woodchip Bioreactor in Salinas, on October 28 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.

Register Here

Early conference registration (through October 15) is $225 and currently enrolled students pay $130. Late registration fees (after October 15) are $250 and $140 for students. Continuing education units (CEUs) for Certified Crop Advisers and Self-Certified Growers will be available for the conference.

Upon registration, conference attendees can sign-up for the free bioreactor tour on October 28 (limited space available).

This year’s conference includes presentations on irrigation and nutrient management in annual and perennial crops, fertilizer uses, Managed Aquifer Recharge, soil sampling and laboratory techniques, biostimulants, nutrient management in regenerative agriculture, and two panel discussions: nitrogen removal coefficients and nutrient and irrigation management in organic systems. In addition, there will be two interactive workshops on adjusting irrigation pH and approaches for collaborating with small and underserved growers.

2024 FREP/WPH Conference Agenda

Call for Posters

A poster session will be held the evening of October 29 for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and industry members to present their ongoing California research, outreach and/or demonstration projects related to irrigation and nutrient management. FREP does not accept abstracts/posters related to proprietary product development, testing or promotions.

To present a poster at the conference, submit your abstract(s) to FREP@cdfa.ca.gov by October 15, 2024. One presenter per accepted abstract will receive complementary conference registration.

Abstracts must be related to irrigation and nutrient management in California. Submissions must include poster title, author names and affiliations, and an abstract (350-word limit).

We encourage individuals to prepare their abstracts according to the American Society of Agronomy Tips for Writing Abstracts.

Accepted abstracts: How to prepare your poster

To learn more about poster preparation, time and location of the poster session, please see the Poster Guidelines.


Proceedings

The Proceedings include a synopsis of FREP’s latest achievements, summaries of current FREP-funded projects and relevant research, and a list of completed FREP projects. See past Conference Proceedings.