Home | Department of Plant Sciences

Undergraduate Programs

Plant Sciences offers three diverse majors that prepare students for a broad range of exciting post-graduate jobs or graduate school.

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Graduate Programs

Plant Sciences manages two graduate programs and is involved with eight campus graduate groups leading to Ph.D. and master's degrees.

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Research and Facilities

Our faculty works to advance, evaluate and communicate knowledge of plant sciences from lab to field, rangeland, forests, waterways and beyond.

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Outreach Programs

We partner with growers, ranchers, consumers and communities to understand regional and global needs and provide research-based solutions.

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Latest News

About 20 young people, an international group

Roel Rezk studies food system sustainability at Wageningen program

by Valentina Roel Rezk
August 21, 2024

Valentina Roel Rezk was among graduate students from around the world who participated in a summer program seeking to shape future policy and research into circular food and agriculture systems. The program was put on by the Circular Food Systems Network, hosted by Wageningen University & Research, in the Netherlands.

Three women hold a giant check and smile. The check is for 2,500 dollars.Two men flank them.

Klein and team cultivate a win at the Food & Ag Case Competition

by Danielle Kleiner-Kanter
August 20, 2024

Doctoral student Marie Klein, of the Department of Plant Sciences, was part of a team that took first place in the UC Davis Food and Agriculture Business Case Competition. The event brought together teams from several universities to solve a business challenge for global seed company Hm.Clause. Here, team member and MBA student Danielle Kleiner-Kanter describes their journey to first place. She also offers three tips that helped them grow their business plan from idea to presentation.

Looking up into tall pine trees. On the ground, a small fire burns. Smoke flows up and is lit up by rays of light coming through the trees.

Less-severe forest fires can reduce intensity of future blazes

by Emily Dooley
August 19, 2024

UC Davis research shows low- and moderate-severity wildfires can reduce future fire intensity for up to 20 years. Using satellite data, scientists found past fires help manage fuel loads, offering insights for forest resilience and wildfire mitigation.