A team of scientists, including Gail Taylor of the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, has identified a gene in poplar trees that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height by as much as 200 percent. Discovery of the “Booster” gene has enormous potential for both the nation’s efforts to create plant-based jet fuel and to boost the yield of key food crops.
Steam treatment offers growers a chemical-free way to control weeds and soil-borne diseases, benefiting both crops and farmworkers. UC Davis research in Salinas shows it boosts yields while preserving soil health, making it a promising tool for organic farming.
A UC Davis study found most California farmers acknowledge climate change and seek adaptation strategies. Key concerns include water shortages, extreme heat, and wildfires. Farmers need financial aid, research, and policy support to boost resilience.
UC Davis and Universidad de La Salle students collaborated on a cacao project, fostering agricultural innovation and cultural exchange. A second project will focus on climate-smart cacao production and agroecology to strengthen Colombia’s food systems.
Construction officially began on the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation with a groundbreaking event on May 29, celebrating the future $64.4 million facility at the University of California, Davis.
No-till annual wheat can boost soil carbon and maintain yields better than tilled wheat or perennial Kernza in California’s climate, according to new UC Davis research led by Mark Lundy. Study highlights benefits of conservation tillage.
Ana Zepeda won a $7,300 grant to help women in Mérida, Mexico, plant a community garden that boosts child nutrition and school attendance while building resilience to disasters and advancing global sustainability goals.
An international team, including Cameron Pittelkow, developed a strategy for reducing nitrogen fertilizer use in China’s rice production. Their plan would cut pollution, boost efficiency, and sustain food security while addressing environmental harm.
The University of California, Davis, recently announced that philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of The Wonderful Company, have pledged the largest gift ever to the university by individual donors. The $50 million pledge will support the school’s longstanding commitment to address today’s most pressing challenges in agriculture and environmental sustainability.
A UC Davis study with the Environmental Defense Fund found that nitrate leaching in agricultural fields increases with a higher nitrogen balance. Reducing nitrogen rates and improving efficiency can cut leaching losses, benefiting sustainability.
Sorghum is an earthy, nutty, gluten-free grain that boasts remarkable drought tolerance. It also poses serious potential as a sustainable crop in a warming world.
It has been proposed that ecosystem service markets – an economic model that encourages ecological conservation and regeneration by establishing a supply-and-demand market for things like water and biodiversity – are the solution for sustainable food systems on rangelands. Despite this conceptual argument, these market types have failed to emerge.
