Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Raj Kahlon Agriculture & Industrial Technology Complex, Merced College
3600 M Street, Merced, CA 95348
For parking, we encourage guests to use P1 and P2 off of G Street. Parking is $2 at the kiosks for a full day.
Map for parking at Merced College https://maps.app.goo.gl/Psqn1Jae7QPck5zS9
The workshop is free but must register to attend (Lunch provided). Limited seats are available.
Contact: Leigh Bernacchi: leigh.bernacchi@mccd.edu; Moneim Mohamed: amohamed@ucanr.edu
CEUs Soil & Water Management: 3
DESCRIPTION
Join us for a practical workshop focused on precision irrigation management for young almond orchards. The program will feature presentations from Merced College, UC Cooperative Extension, the Almond Board of California, and irrigation industry experts, highlighting key differences between irrigation strategies for young and mature almond trees.
Attendees will learn how to make informed irrigation decisions during orchard establishment, how to adjust irrigation practices as trees grow, and how emerging irrigation technologies can support more efficient water use. The workshop will also discuss tools and strategies that promote healthy tree development, improve resource-use efficiency, and build more resilient orchards under increasing climate and water challenges. Growers, PCAs, CCAs, students, and agricultural professionals are encouraged to attend.
AGENDA
8:00 - 8:15 AM Welcome and overview of the Merced College's almond orchard as a teaching and training platform, Leigh Bernacchi
8:15 - 8:45 AM Precision Irrigation for Young Almonds, Moneim Mohamed
8:45 - 9:15 AM Adoption of Practices on the Irrigation Continuum Through Outreach and Measured Through CASP Data, Michael Roots
9:15 - 9:45 AM Soil Moisture Sensing Techniques for Irrigation Scheduling, Andre Daccache
9:45 - 10:00 AM Q & A
10:00 - 10:15 AM Coffee Break
10:15 -10:45 AM Choosing the "Right" Almond and Establishment Considerations for a Water-Limited Future, Cameron Zuber
10:45 - 11:15 AM Irrigation and Fertigation Automation in Almond Production, James Nichols
11:15 AM - 11:45 AM Irrigation System Maintenance: Common Problems and Fixes, Cory Broad
11:45 AM - 12:00 PM Q & A
12:00 PM Lunch
The workshop is sponsored by the Almond Board of California.