Soil Health Symposium Agenda (Draft)

Soil Health Symposium Agenda (Draft) June 17, 2014. Davis, CA (*= not yet confirmed)

7.30 Registration 8.00 Welcome and Opening remarks • Matt Rodriquez, Secretary of CALEPA • Brian Leahy, Director of Department of Pesticide Regulation • Karen Ross, Director CDFA

8.15 Overview of the Day:  Timothy Griffin, Ag Innovations Network

Description: Facilitator will review agenda, grounds rules, oversee introductions.

8.30 Introduction on Soil Health and NRCS Perspectives  Dennis Chessman, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service

9.15 Keynote Address • Rodrigo Mendes, University of São Paulo, Senior Research Scientist-Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa Environment

Description: How soil microbial ecology in agro ecosystems can transform the way we grow food and reduce our dependency on soil fumigants.

10.00 Break

10.15 Current Landscape: What is Known and on the Horizon • Howard Ferris, UC Davis • Carol Shennan, UC Santa Cruz • Greg Browne, USDA-ARS • Dan Kluepfel, USDA-ARS • Mark Mazzola, USDA-ARS

• Rodrigo Mendes, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil • Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension • Dan Chellemi, Driscoll's Strawberry Associates

Description: Short presentations and discussion regarding the current knowledge of how soil health can suppress soil pathogens. Purpose is to share the most exciting current science on the topic, explore current limitations, and finally to explore what they believe are the current research priorities.

Noon Lunch

1.00 The Road Ahead, What Will It Take to Get There

• Dan Legard, California Strawberry Commission* • Jenny Broome, Driscoll's Strawberry Associates • Pam Marrone, Marrone Bio Innovations • Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of California • David Doll, UC Farm Advisor • Gerald Davis, Grimmway Farms

Description: Focus group discussions will explore the barriers to getting there, from nuts and bolts of implementation to the development and distribution of the needed technologies. The focus group differs from the panel as the participants will not be given a set period of time to share uninterrupted, but will instead be prompted by questions.

2.30 Break

2:45 Setting Priorities: Breakout Sessions

Description: Small, mixed discipline groups are asked to reflect on what they heard during the day and develop the 5 top priorities needed to accelerate change. This could include additional investment in current research, launch of new research projects, on the ground implementation, etcetera. Participants will be asked to identify at least 2 short-term opportunities.

4:00-4:30 Synthesis! Wrap-up