Giulia Marino is looking at some promising new varieties of pistachio trees to help growers facing warmer winters, reduced water quantity and quality, and rising management costs. As the new University of California Presidential Chair for Tree Nut Genetics, Marino’s work will help farmers in the state’s $5-billion-and-growing industry become more resilient and more profitable.
The University of California’s first Industrial Hemp Field Day presented work by the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences to help farmers manage common problems and improve their yields. Researchers discussed their latest findings to better manage hemp production, touching on diseases, weeds, insects, pesticide resistance, biological controls and regulatory processes. Field demonstrations included ongoing trials on nitrogen and water use.
An estimated 80 to 100 growers turned out for the Sept. 22 event, showing the demand for scientific guidance for legal hemp cultivation.
Some undergraduate students may be willing to accept slightly lower grades in exchange for easier scheduling, researchers concluded during a study of undergraduate performance in one online course. Results of their study were recently published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment Nature.
A cartoon character that looks suspiciously like a Department of Plant Sciences professor leads an animated, online tutorial that recently won a 2022 Gold Award from the Association for Communication Excellence.
Forty scientists from 22 African nations started in-person classes with the African Plant Breeding Academy this spring in Nairobi. The six-week program is hosted by the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center. Rita Mumm, director and primary instructor for the academy, is leading the program.
The annual small grain field day and other field-based activities were cancelled due to COVID-10, so Mark Lundy and colleagues are sharing digital resources related to nitrogen fertilizer management in small grains, small grain variety evaluation, and leaf and canopy meters to measure the N status of crops. Also posted are virtual field tours of small grain variety evaluation plots.
Three faculty in the Department of Plant Sciences — Bruce Linquist, Jeff Mitchell, and Ken Tate — are among the 16 UC Davis recipients of Academic Federation and Academic Senate awards for 2020. Bruce Linquist: Excellence in Research. Jeff Mitchell: Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Ken Tate: Distinguished Service.
The 2020 Plant Science Symposium at UC Davis will be held on May 6, and will be online through Zoom. This student-run symposium is built to stimulate discussions about the future of agriculture. It includes speakers and attendees from both academia and industry, and the public and private sectors. Hosted by the Plant Breeding Center and the Department of Plant Sciences.
California organic farmers are sharing information about their efforts to combine reduced tillage with the use of cover crops on their vegetable farms to protect and improve soil health while adding carbon and diversity to their production systems. Jeff Mitchell, Plant Sciences, UC Davis, is spearheading this ongoing project.