SUMMARY OF SERVICES

Pacific Agronomics, Inc., a Fresno-based consulting company, was organized in 1984 to provide technical services to California growers. Goals of the company are implementation of intelligent irrigation, fertility, pest, and business managements, founded on science and profitability.

Irrigation Management

The irrigation management program utilizes the water budget technique to schedule and rate irrigations. Key attributes are computer-modeling programs that use inputs such as soil moisture content, irrigation records, plant growth measurements, and soil properties to model water use and plan future irrigation. In conjunction with the computer-modeling program, field measurements with neutron probe, infrared thermometer, granular matrix sensors, and pressure bomb instruments verify the accuracy of computer projections.

Irrigation system efficiency evaluations are the result of field measurements, observations, computer analysis, and calculations. Evaluation procedures are those used by the Department of Water Resources Mobile Lab Program and the Department of Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.

Fertility Management

Pacific Agronomics' prognostic approach to fertility management is a pre-plant soil analysis that evaluates all major nutrients as well as salinity and toxic elements. Soil nitrate analysis is followed by plant tissue analysis to verify the accuracy of previous recommendations and identify any pending nutrient deficiencies.

Cropping Feasibility

A comprehensive approach is utilized by Pacific Agronomics to evaluate lands for cropping feasibility. Of primary concern are the chemical and physical constituents in the soil to the maximum rooting depth of the crop. In addition, a soil inventory must include such factors as topography, nematode and disease populations, and an evaluation of the water supply, both for quality and quantity.

Nematode Diagnosis

Pacific Agronomics provides diagnostic nematode services for its growers in the form of nematode count data. This information assists the grower in the decision making process of controls, specifically the use of resistant varieties or soil fumigation.

GPS/GIS Information Technology

Pacific Agronomics uses the technology of the Global Positioning System along with computerized mapping sofware to accurately plot points of interest. Points of interest would include USDA NRCS soil maps, aerial and satillite imagery. With this technology, we have the ability to go into the field and accurately find the areas of interest and diagnose the issues, through visual inspection or sampling andhave our laboratory analyse.

Cropping Experience

Water and fertility management services have been provided by Pacific Agronomics for most field, vegetable, tree, and vine crops, as well as turfgrass, in California.

Annual Service Contracts

Irrigation and fertility management services are provided on an annual service contract basis. Discounts are available on large acreage.

Laboratory and Related Services

Pacific Agronomics operates a full-service agricultural laboratory on-site. All analyses are performed according to United States Department of Agriculture and University of California procedures.

Field sampling, laboratory analysis, and interpretations are available on a single sample basis.