The Water Education Alliance for Horticulture is offering an upcoming series of nine free, 45-minute webinars on various irrigation-related topics. The webinars begin Nov. 29, and run every Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern) through Feb. 7, 2012.

Several experts at universities and companies will give presentations on topics to help growers conserve, recirculate, and treat irrigation water. Among the presenters is Oregon State University’s own Jennifer Parke, who will discuss the importance of water treatment in managing risks related to Phytophthora pathogens, and Washington State University’s Gary Chastagner, who will talk about the biology of waterborne pathogens. The full list of webinars:

• Nov. 29 — Tom Yeager, University of Florida, “Best Management Practices for Water Conservation”
• Dec. 6 — Gary Chastagner, Washington State University, “Biology of Waterborne Pathogens”
• Dec. 13 — Jennifer Parke, Oregon State University, “A Systems Approach for Managing Phytophthora Diseases in Nurseries: The Importance of Water
• Dec. 20 — Paul Fisher, University of Florida, “Monitoring Water Quality”
• Jan. 10, 2012 — Dramm Water, “Filtration and Avoiding Clogging of Irrigation Lines
• Jan. 17 — Warren Copes, USDA Agricultural Research Service, “Surface Cleaning and Sanitation”
• Jan. 24 — Ken Wagner, Water Resources Services, “Algae Control and Pond Management”
• Jan. 31 — Walter Wohanka, Geisenheim Research Center, Germany, “Pros and Cons of Water Disinfection Techniques: A European Perspective”
• Feb. 7 — Paul Fisher, University of Florida, “Designing Water Treatment Systems”

These events are being supported by the University of Florida Cooperative Extension; OFA (The Association of Floriculture Professionals); the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA); and the German grower association Zentralverband Gartenbau. Registration is free. Log on to www.watereducationalliance.org and click “Workshops” to see the details on each seminar and to sign up.