Soil and soil science

Astrid Wingler will join Plant Sciences at UC Davis as a Fulbright Scholar from University College Cork, Ireland, January–July, 2021. Her research will include carbon capture and soil carbon sequestration. She will work with Plant Sciences professors Valerie Eviner, Diane Beckles, and Amelie Gaudin.

To see if livestock grazing is beneficial in organic farming, or poses food safety risks, multistate research partners received a nearly $1 million grant from the USDA to study the impacts of livestock grazing cover crops on the bacterial population dynamics, soil building, and environmental health. Professor Amelie Gaudin, Plant Sciences, is part of the research team.

One challenge in organic crops is trying to reduce soil disturbance as much as possible. Jeff Mitchell, a faculty member in Plant Sciences, is a vegetable crops specialist with UC Cooperative Extension. He works with organic farmers throughout California to research practices that may help them improve their soil health.

Jennifer Schmidt, a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Sciences, is the 2020 recipient of the John E. Kinsella Memorial Prize for outstanding research on a doctoral dissertation. Her research focuses on the microbiome of the soil around plant roots — the rhizosphere — and its functional implications for sustainable agriculture.

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.

Three from UC Davis — Patrick Brown and Mark Lundy (Plant Sciences) and Thomas Harter (LAWR) — received grants from the CDFA Fertilizer Research and Education Program. Seven recipients received $1.5 million to improve nitrogen efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and advance best management practices for fertilizer application in farmlands.

Agroecology graduate student Jennifer Schmidt, Department of Plant Sciences, makes ceramics inspired by her Ph.D. dissertation work on the interactions between maize and its surrounding microbes. The visual aspects of her research lend themselves to hand-painted ceramics. Many scientists pursue some form of art or music, along with their science.

Patrick H. Brown, Plant Sciences professor at UC Davis, received $503,426 for his research on “Investigation of improved nitrogen fertilization practices for micro-irrigated almond orchards, specifically addressing the uncertainties around the ‘right place’.”

This video summarizes the production techniques, equipment, and production goals that John and Justin Diener, and Scott Park employ for their organic processing tomato fields. It details the efforts they use to take care of the soil at their farms.

Three faculty have joined the Department of Plant Sciences, and additional faculty recruitments are underway.