Some trees are better at surviving drought, fire, pests, and diseases than other trees. By identifying the genes responsible for these adaptations, scientists can compile a scalable database that will aid resource managers as they plan long-term conservation strategies, particularly as the climate changes. Professor David Neale, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, showed in…
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Summary: Tree-line species are shifting in the Great Basin of the U.S. Limber pine trees are ‘leapfrogging,’ slowly, over ancient bristlecone pines upslope. If limber pine trees block bristlecones from advancing upslope, bristlecones could face local extirpations. * * * * * Bristlecone pine and limber pine trees in the Great Basin region are like…
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New research supported by the Horticulture Innovation Lab at UC Davis aims to help farmers in Cambodia better integrate growing vegetables, raising livestock and maintaining healthy soil — all in the same place. “By understanding the interactions between horticulture and livestock systems, we can help farmers make better use of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer…
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To meet California’s mandatory landscape ordinances for water conservation, Loren Oki, Karrie Reid, and Jared Sisneroz are conducting UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials to determine water needs for landscape plants. The goal is to develop water conservation landscapes in three locations and study their long-term performance. Regulations for landscape water use California’s Model Water Efficiency…
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Since water conservation will be an ongoing practice in California, University of California scientists are continually developing practical information for agriculture, rangelands, urban landscapes, and animal production. This series of publications was produced by UC experts throughout California. Published by UC ANR, authors include professors and Cooperative Extension specialists in the Dept. of Plant Sciences…
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The new California Farm Demonstration Network was formally launched in an MOU signing in May at Russ Lester’s orchard in Winters, California. The network is a partnership of several groups including the California Farm Bureau Federation, the USDA NRCS, the California Assn. of Resource Conservation Districts, the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture, UC ANR,…
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Climate scientists from three countries have determined that the carbon reduction goals set at the Paris Agreement in 2015 are not feasible. Regardless of whether the U.S. remains part of the Paris climate accord, scientists at the University of California, Davis, are developing additional agricultural methods to offset increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases, thereby reducing…
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Faculty, students, researchers, educators, and professional organizations are invited to submit posters for the fourth Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium, March 23-24, 2017. The poster submission deadline is Friday, March 17. Symposium highlights are available at http://rangelands.ucdavis.edu/rustici/rangeland-symposium/ The broad focus for the combined mixer and poster session includes any activities related to sustainable rangeland research, management,…
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Sustaining California’s Rangelands Leslie Roche, a new faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences, is a Cooperative Extension specialist in rangeland management. She also has statewide responsibilities with Cooperative Extension in the UC systemwide Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The overarching theme of her program is looking at rangelands as working landscapes to…
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As noted in the Chair’s Message, the Department of Plant Sciences is undergoing a number of new faculty hires, which will continue in the upcoming years. In this and upcoming issues of The Leaf newsletter, we will share brief profiles of new faculty members, along with their areas of expertise and contact information. In this…
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