OFA Crop Management Workshop: Media, Water and Crop Nutrition, Part I

Thursday morning 9:00 am

Where: Gallery Overlook (upper level) Room G-H

Summary: Few things can more quickly submarine a grower’s effort to produce a quality crop than establishing a nutritional program without also taking into account the composition and characteristics of the growing media, the chemistry of the irrigation water, or the dynamic nature of the interaction among them. This intensive 4-hour workshop will help you understand the significance of each of these production inputs, their interactions, and how to determine, through testing and symptom recognition, when they are outside desirable parameters. And, just as importantly, you will learn how to take corrective actions before it is too late.

In addition, you should attend this workshop because:

* You will gain understanding of and hands-on experience with the meters and equipment that will help you monitor these critical inputs.

* You will take home valuable reference resources, including the 369-page book, Nutrient Deficiencies in Bedding Plants: A Pictorial Guide for Identification and Correction, and the 17-page NCSU Extension Bulletin Monitoring and Managing pH and EC Using the PourThru Extraction Method.

Jonathan Frantz, from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, and Jamie Gibson, from Conrad Fafard Inc., will conduct the workshop program. The cost for attending the workshop is $95. This fee is in addition to the conference registration fee. Pre-registration for the workshop is recommended as space is limited to the first 50 participants (registration at the conference will be allowed only if space is available). This small investment today can help you produce better quality crops with less shrinkage for years to come.

Moderator: Erik Runkle, Horticulture Dept., MSU