Researchers in the Department of Plant Sciences have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops such as rice. The discovery could save farmers in the United States billions of dollars annually in fertilizer costs while also benefiting the environment.
The research comes out of the lab of Eduardo Blumwald, a distinguished professor of plant sciences, who has found a new pathway for cereals to capture the nitrogen they need to grow.
Can an ancient corn from Mexico help feed people in developing regions around the world? Allen Van Deynze and other researchers at UC Davis and Northern California, and in Mexico, have been working hard to answer that question.
Rain in May, especially in the amounts we have seen this year, is far from ideal for rice growers. It makes establishing seedlings, nitrogen management, and weed control extra challenging. Here are three scenarios and some ideas on how to best manage nitrogen fertilizer.
A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, suggests that photorespiration wastes little energy and instead enhances nitrate assimilation, the process that converts nitrate absorbed from the soil into protein.
Deciding the right amount of phosphorus to apply and how to apply is important, said Linquist, who is assistant Cooperative Extension specialist and faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
