UC Davis scientists received $2.1M in USDA grants to breed green beans, chile peppers, and alfalfa better suited for heat and drought. The goal: improve quality, boost yield, cut costs, and adapt crops to climate change.
UC Davis scientist Eduardo Blumwald partnered with Science Journal for Kids and Teens to adapt his rice-bacteria research for high school classrooms, helping boost science literacy. His paper is now reaching students and teachers nationwide.
Louise Ferguson led ASHS Leadership Academy fellows to Washington, D.C., to advocate for $1.3B in farm bill research funding. Fellows met with lawmakers to highlight the economic and health impacts of horticultural research.
UC Davis researchers presented their rice studies at the 39th Rice Technical Working Group conference in Arkansas. Topics included herbicide programs, weedy rice responses, and the behavior of rice under different treatments, highlighting California's rice research.
Jorge Dubcovsky of UC Davis was awarded the Frank N. Meyer Medal for his pioneering work on wheat genetics, including the development of germplasm and wheat varieties that improve yield, nutrition, and climate resilience.
Maeli Melotto and her UC Davis team are studying lettuce genetics to develop strains more resistant to E. coli. They work to reduce foodborne illness, lower farming costs, and save public health expenses.
Albert Fischer, a professor emeritus of weed ecophysiology in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, was recently named the recipient of the Outstanding International Achievement Award by the International Weed Science Society. Shortly after the award was announced, Fischer passed away on Nov. 22 in Davis, Calif. He was 72.
UC Davis researchers, led by Allen Van Deynze and Charlie Brummer, are developing spinach varieties resistant to downy mildew, with improved nitrogen efficiency and reduced cadmium uptake. Trials with over 1,700 genetic lines aim for faster, healthier growth.
Richard Michelmore and his UC Davis lab are working to breed lettuce resistant to diseases like downy mildew, Fusarium, and corky root. They are exploring genetic bases for resistance and providing breeding lines to seed companies.
Josh Hegarty, a postdoctoral researcher in the Dubcovsky Lab in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, is leading a project to develop commercial varieties of triticale for forage and feed. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, is granting a $300,000 investment as part of its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
