Wednesday’s program is devoted entirely to water with multiple concurrent sessions including:

Achieving irrigation 2.0 + 3.0 efficiencies

Given the current drought and water shortages, interest in innovative irrigation solutions is at an all-time high. And as a permanent crop, California almond orchards are well suited to adopt these new technologies. Attendees can learn about irrigation management techniques to further increase irrigation efficiency.

Speakers will discuss the value of efficient irrigation, how to estimate crop water use with historic and real-time evapotranspiration (ETc), determining application rate with soil moisture and system efficiency factors, scheduling irrigations based on planning and real-time correction, and monitoring results with soil moisture and plant water status.
Managing orchard salinity during, after drought

The reliance on lower-quality irrigation water has impacted almond production by increasing the soil electrical conductivity and concentration of toxic salts. These salts need to be managed in order to maintain yields and extend orchard longevity. This session will discuss the practices that will help determine and manage potential salinity problems.
Water: What new regulations may mean for you

The passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and Proposition 1 (the Water Bond) has brought about a new level of water regulation, impacting all Californians and the state’s agricultural interests in particular. A panel of state water regulators and legal experts will discuss the adjudication process and how it harmonizes with SGMA, how you can participate in implementing SGMA, and surface water issues such as unimpaired flows.