CDFA REQUESTS IDEAS FOR FERTILIZER RESEARCH PROJECTS

SACRAMENTO, March 5, 2001 -   The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is seeking suggestions for research and education projects that will advance the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use and handling of fertilizer materials. Funding for the projects comes from assessments on fertilizer sales in California.

Projects may involve research and/or educational activities. Topics will be solicited in the following subject areas:


• Irrigation interactions water management as related to fertilizer use efficiency and the reduction of ground and surface water contamination.


• Fertilization practices crop nutrient uptake, cover crops and composting projects.


• Site-specific fertilizer technology demonstrating and quantifying applications for Precision Agriculture.


• Heavy metals in commercial inorganic fertilizers.


• Development, testing and demonstration of the use and benefits of practical field nutrient monitoring tools.


• Nutrient/pest interactions and nutrient/growth regulator interactions.


• Education and public information regarding the environmentally safe and agronomically sound use and handling of fertilizer materials.


• Handling, transfer and storage of fertilizer materials with an emphasis on achieving regulatory compliance.

In 2000, CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program issued more than $800,000 in grants to university, industry and other agricultural research institutions.

Additional information on the grant application process is available on the program’s web page at: www.cdfa.ca.gov/inspection/frep.

Any individual or group is encouraged to apply. Projects must be relevant to California conditions. To be considered, a project suggestion limited to two pages must be submitted by April 2, 2001, to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Fertilizer Research and Education Program, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

For more information, contact: Casey Walsh Cady or Athar Tariq, CDFA, Fertilizer Research and Education Program at (916) 653 5340, by fax: (916) 653 2407, or e mail: cady@cdfa.ca.gov.

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FLEX YOUR POWER. To meet California’s energy challenge, CDFA urges businesses and consumers to conserve. For a list of simple ways that you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our Web site @www.cdfa.ca.gov.