CDFA details fertilizer research, training and incentive programs to reduce nutrient losses

The California Department of Food and Agriculture outlined a suite of research, outreach and incentive programs designed to help growers reduce nitrogen losses from irrigated lands while maintaining productivity.

CDFA officials said the department has funded hundreds of projects over 35 years to develop fertilizer guidance, training and technical assistance for advisors and growers. "Tenemos 282 proyectos en los últimos 35 años. Tenemos 690000000 de dólares, somos pequeños, 32000000 en los últimos 35 años," Natalie Yacuzzi, a scientist in CDFA’s Fertilization Education and Research Program, said during the presentation.

CDFA described crop-specific fertilizer guides developed for 28 crops that cover about 70% of California’s irrigated acreage; many of the materials are already available in Spanish. Yacuzzi said the guides include updateable response curves and a searchable database that staff are improving after user-feedback about the search function.

The department outlined three program pillars that it said together reduce greenhouse gases and nutrient runoff: on-farm technical assistance and certified advisor training, incentive funding for healthy-soils and irrigation upgrades, and pilot support for organic transition. "Esto es para mejorar los programas... asistencia técnica se ha convertido en algo que nos daña lo que es posible," CDFA presenters said, stressing the central role of outreach and translation in adoption.

Office of Resilience and Agricultural Sustainability staff described four incentive program areas relevant to nutrient management: healthy-soils and composting projects, alternative manure management, irrigation modernization (drip systems, pump electrification and sensors), and pilots to help farms transition to organic production. Presenters cited examples of energy and water savings associated with pump efficiency and irrigation upgrades.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized technical assistance and multi-language delivery. Scott Wicks said third-party partners such as Resource Conservation Districts and university extension programs provide on-the-ground workshops and field assistance in Spanish and other languages; CDFA said it has provided tens of thousands of field-level assessments and pump tests through those partnerships.

Why it matters: CDFA staff framed these programs as enabling tools that can reduce nutrient losses without requiring a sudden reduction in production. The agency emphasized that guidance, credits for organic amendments and consistent technical support will be needed for growers to adapt to any future regulatory requirements.

What presenters said they will do next: CDFA staff said they will continue to expand Spanish-language training, update the searchable project database, and refine guidance and discount/credit recommendations for organic amendments and compost as expert review proceeds.

Speakers quoted in this article appear verbatim from the meeting transcript in Spanish to preserve the presenters’ exact wording.