Individuals interested in growing pomegranates with surface or subsurface drip irrigation are invited to attend a meeting at Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (KARE) on October 2, 2014, to learn about improving pomegranate fertigation and nitrogen use efficiency. To attend, a reservation made with Diana Nix at 559-46-6500, extension 0, is required.

The field day will share the results of a fertigation study at KARE that uses high frequency drip and subsurface drip irrigation/fertigation systems. Check in is at 9:30 am, presentations start at 10:00 am, and the tour of the research plot begins at 11:00 am. The meeting will adjourn at noon.

The agenda includes:

• Introduction, objectives, orchard configuration and operation
• Evapotranspiration, crop coefficient and lysimeter management
• Yields, water use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency
• Soil matric potential measurements and hydraulic gradient calculations in the subsurface drip irrigated lysimeter
• Tissue responses to high frequency injected nitrogen at three levels of nitrogen
• Canopy cover and leaf chlorophyll measurements
• Conclusions and questions

For additional information, please contact Kevin R. Day, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Tulare County, specializing in fresh-shipping deciduous tree fruits, cultural practices and production, fruit growth and development, pruning and training systems, at 559-684-3311, or Claude J. Phene, President of SDI Plus, at 559-298-0201.