UCNFA Conference 2024

Event Date

Location
Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Fine Arts Building, 2601 East Lake Avenue, Watsonville, CA 95076

 

Register for: 

Conference and Nursery Tour

Conference Only 

Nursery Tour Only 

UCNFA Logo

 

IPPS Logo

 

Plant California Alliance Logo

 

The conference on the 15th will introduce 10 new UC Cooperative Extension Environmental Horticulture Advisors in the morning session and they will share information about their research and extension programs.  During the lunch break, there will be demonstrations of several methods to help manage your plant nutrition, irrigation, diseases, and pests.  The afternoon session will focus on the Water Board’s Irrigation and Nitrogen Management Plan program and how it affects nursery and greenhouse growers.  On the following day Wednesday the 16th, will be a bus tour of several nurseries.  We’re still finalizing the tour stops, though.

Here's the conference speaker line-up October 15:
8:30am-4:30pm 

Emerging Pests and Diseases

Chris Shogren, Ph.D.               
Environmental Horticulture Advisor
Los Angeles County
UC Cooperative Extension

Which Pest ID Apps Should You Use?                  

Eric Middleton, Ph.D.             
Area IPM Advisor
San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles
UC Cooperative Extension

Effective Cleaning Practices to Prevent Diseases                

Ana M. Pastrana, Ph.D.           
Plant Pathology Advisor
Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Improving Disease Diagnostics and Management Strategies of Recurrent Pathogens in California Greenhouses and Nurseries

Johanna Del Castillo Munera, Ph.D.       
Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension
Department of Plant Pathology
UC Davis

Weed Management Practices For Nurseries       

Haramrit Gill, Ph.D. 
Environmental Horticulture Area Advisor
Tulare, Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Water Treatment Technologies for Nurseries and Greenhouses

Grant Johnson         
Urban Agriculture Technology Area Advisor
Orange and Los Angeles Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Nutrient Allocation From CRFs During a One Year Production Cycle 

Don Merhaut, Ph.D.                
CE Specialist
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
UC Riverside

California’s Recent Urban Water Conservation Legislation and the Need For Climate-Ready Landscape Trees             

Joanna Solins, Ph.D.                
Environmental Horticulture Advisor
Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Nurturing the Connection Between Nurseries and Urban Tree Planters        

Jessie Godfrey, Ph.D.              
Environmental Horticulture and Water Resources Management Advisor
Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Irrigation and Nutrient Management Requirements for Greenhouses and Nurseries       

Monica Barricarte   
Water Resource Control Engineer
Irrigated Lands Program
Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

INMP reporting for Central Coast Nursery Growers              

Sarah Lopez, Executive Director and
Dennis Lebow, Irrigation and Nutrient Management Specialist Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc.

Nitrogen Management in Nursery Production and Irrigation Training for the Green Industry          

Bruno Pitton, Ph.D. 
Environmental Horticulture Advisor
Placer and Nevada Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Challenges for Calculating Total Removed Nitrogen in Nursery and Floricultural Crops    

Gerry Spinelli, Ph.D.   
Production Horticulture Advisor for Nurseries, 
Floriculture and Controlled Environment Agriculture
San Diego County
UC Cooperative Extension

Challenges of Complying With INMP Reporting Requirements for Greenhouse Growers on the Central Coast                                  

Aparna Gazula, Ph.D.               
Vegetable Production, Nutrient Management and 
Small Farms Advisor
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties
UC Cooperative Extension

Navigating Nutrient Management in Los Angeles County   

Ariana McCray         
Program Director
Los Angeles Irrigated Lands Group

Rooted in Compliance: Nitrogen Reporting Challenges for Central Valley Nurseries                           

Melissa Turner         
President
MLJ Environmental


Demonstrations during lunch October 15:
8:30am-4:30pm

Insect ID apps and using magnifiers
EC contribution of fertilizers
What pour-through water samples tell you
Estimate nitrogen in liquid feed from electrical conductivity measurements
Measure nitrate and ammonium in liquid feed with photometer
Measure container capacity and water content in different substrates
Measuring pH
Greenhouses entrance sanitation mats for boots
Pear baiting for Phytophthora

Bus Tour* Wednesday October 16: 

Los Arroyos Nursery
Bonnie Plants
Four Winds Growers
Driscoll’s
Lunch at the Gizdich Ranch
*itinerary subject to change

It’s a packed program with information that we hope will help you as nursery and greenhouse growers. Applied for 1.7 hours DPR CEUs.

This conference is organized by the University of California Nursery and Floriculture Alliance (UCNFA) and the Western Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society and is co-sponsored by the Plant California Alliance.  

Registration Costs:

Sponsorships:

Gold $500 

Acknowledgement of support
Table at conference
One registration at conference

https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/1200

Silver $250 

Acknowledgement of support

https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/1202

Contact Gerry Spinelli (gspinelli@ucanr.edu)

Other Questions: 

Contact Loren Oki (lroki@ucadvis.edu)

This event is organized by the UC Nursery & Floriculture Alliance, the Western Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society and is co-sponsored by the Plant California Alliance.