FRESNO, Calif. — The 2023 CA Plant and Soil Conference will be held on February 7-8 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Fresno. The conference is organized by the California Chapter of the American Society of Agronomy (CA ASA), which launched the annual event in 1972. This year, the CA ASA board is pleased to work with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Support Unit to deliver the event. Registration is now open through the conference website (https://calasa.ucdavis.edu/). Early bird registration is available through January 13th.
The CA ASA organization was founded in April 1971 by a group of California agronomists who recognized the value in creating a forum to focus on California agriculture. The purpose of the annual meeting is to promote research, disseminate scientific information, foster high standards of educational and ethical conduct in the profession, and facilitate robust cooperation among organizations with similar missions. The conference is co-sponsored by Western Plant Health.
The annual conference provides an opportunity for students, professionals, and other attendees to increase their knowledge of current topics of agronomic importance in California. Many Certified Crop Advisers and Pest Control Advisers attend the conference to earn continuing education units that are important to their professional standing. This year’s conference will convene sessions covering the following topics:
- Partnering for Conservation Outcomes
- Building On-Farm Resilience
- Soil Management for Climate-Smart Agriculture
- Integrated Pest Management and Biodiversity
- Cover Crops: Environmental Benefits and Beyond
- New Tools for Water Management
- Advances in California Plant Breeding
- Organic and Regenerative Production Systems
- Nutrient Management
In addition to presentations on these topics, there will be a student poster competition, non-competitive professional posters, and the CA ASA business meeting with an award ceremony to honor individuals who served the profession through their careers. Sponsorship opportunities are available to support student participation; please see the conference website for more information (https://calasa.ucdavis.edu/Sponsorship/).
The conference is planned and presented by a team of volunteer professional agronomists from research institutions, cooperative extension, public agencies and private companies. If you are interested in serving on the board, or have questions about the conference, please contact a current board member (https://calasa.ucdavis.edu/CAL_ASA/Governing_Board/).
–California Department of Food and Agriculture