"Workshop NEV2013 "Nitrogen, Environment and Vegetables": registrations, call for abstracts and sponsorships open!"

The European Commission - DG Environment and the University of Turin (Italy) organize the NEV2013 Workshop on "Nitrogen, Environment and Vegetables" next 15-17 April 2013, in Turin. The workshop is organized in the framework of a tender coordinated by Alterra (NL) for providing support to the implementation of Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). It is addressed to policy makers, farmers organizations, researchers and extension professionals.

Starting from 1st September 2012, registrations to the workshop are open (there is no fee for the participation), besides to scientific contributions and sponsorships.

Around 200 participants are expected; in case of overbooking, the Organizing Committee will give priority to oral speakers and poster authors. In any case, a confirmation will be sent to each registered participant before 28 February, 2013.

Further info: www.nev2013.org

The workshop focuses on the critical issues of the Nitrates Directive in vegetable crops in European Countries. The main topics will be nitrogen fertilization management, strategies to improve nitrogen and water use efficiency, relationship between nitrogen and other nutrients, crop residues management, crop rotation and monitoring of the environmental pollution caused by nitrogen losses from vegetable crop systems.

Over the last decades, crop over-fertilization has raised the public awareness on the risks of water eutrophication and pollution. There is a striking need for making nitrogen fertilizer use for all crops more effective, in order to reduce its potential negative effects on the environment and, with regard to vegetable crops, on human health when supplied to plants as nitrate.

In recent years, a number of research programs have assessed the effects of nitrogen fertilization methods, fertilizer rate and source on nitrogen uptake and plant growth of many vegetable species.

NEV2013 Workshop aims to enhance the information exchange among Member States on the implementation of Nitrates Directive in vegetable crops. The format of the workshop includes plenary sessions with invited speakers, oral and poster sessions, open field and protected cultivation farm visits, interacting discussions on crop practices, sub-topic specific workshop sessions.

Parallel workshops program:
Environmental impacts of enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers
Efficient water and fertilizer use in greenhouse production
Critical issues of Nitrates Directive implementation
Factors used to map the risk of nitrate contamination of ground water
An overview on research projects on Nitrates Directive implementation in Europe

For general info: info@nev2013.org
For registration info: secretariat@nev2013.org
For scientific info: conveners@nev2013.org