CDFA ACCEPTING CONCEPT PROPOSALS FOR 2022 FERTILIZER RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM GRANT CYCLE

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SACRAMENTO, December 13, 2021 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is now accepting concept proposals for the 2022 grant cycle. FREP’s competitive grant program funds research that advances fertilization practices and minimizes environmental impacts of fertilizing materials.
 
The 2022 Request for Proposals (RFP) includes several initiatives put forth by the department to help effectively manage fertilizing materials in California agriculture.
 
This year’s priorities include demonstrating and/or validating management practices that optimize fertilizer and irrigation water use, addressing challenges and barriers to adoption of management practices, technical education, filling knowledge gaps in nitrogen management for specific crops, research on the role of organic input materials in soil nutrient management, understanding nitrogen movement, and investigating mitigation strategies to reduce nitrogen loss.
 
Applicants are invited to submit two-page concept proposals to FREP by Friday, January 28, 2022. Concepts submitted should be aligned with at least one of the identified priority research areas. Further information on the 2022 FREP RFP, including timelines, application criteria, and priority research areas are available on the Grant Program web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs/frep/CompetitiveGrantProgram.html
 
All concept proposals will be reviewed by the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board’s Technical Advisory Subcommittee (TASC). Applicants whose concept proposals are selected by TASC will be invited to develop full project proposals.
 
Since 1990, FREP has funded more than 250 research projects, investing over $22 million in research and outreach projects focusing on irrigation and nutrient management practices in California. A database of completed and ongoing research is available on the FREP Research web page at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/FREPresearch
 

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