CDFA TO HOLD ANNUAL FERTILIZER RESEARCH CONFERENCE

SACRAMENTO, November 8, 2001- The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will present its Ninth Annual Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) conference on November 14, 2001 at the Edison AgTAC facility in Tulare, California.

The all-day conference will focus on updates of current and recently completed FREP-sponsored research projects for many California cropping systems, and will include a report on the role of inorganic chemical fertilizers and soil amendments on trace metal contents of cropland soils. The morning session will also include presentations on optimizing citrus nitrogen management and irrigation, comparative release rates from slow release nitrogen fertilizers, and the evaluation of in-field nitrate testing in vegetable production.

The afternoon breakout sessions will feature fertilization practices with organic amendments, nutrient management for horticultural crops, precision agriculture and nitrogen management in cropping systems of the desert Southwest, agricultural and air quality issues in the San Joaquin Valley.

Representatives from agricultural supply and service organizations, pest control advisers, certified crop advisers, growers, farm advisers, researchers, and public officials are encouraged to attend the conference. Certified crop advisers will receive 5.5 hours of education credits, and pest control advisers will receive 3 hours of credits for attending.

The conference is sponsored by CDFA, the California Fertilizer Association, and the California Certified Crop Adviser Program.

The conference fee is $55. For registration information or to request a copy of the program, call Suzanne Turcotte of FREP at (916) 654�0574. For more information about the event, contact FREP conference coordinator Stephen Beam at (916) 653-9055 or e�mail him at sbeam@cdfa.ca.gov.

The conference program is also available on CDFA’s website at www.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.