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

A large group of people standing together in an open field with low bushy green plants.

Lima bean project battles bottlenecks in breeding

by Trina Kleist
September 19, 2024

UC Davis researchers are developing improved lima bean varieties suited for U.S. climates. By studying wild genetics and breeding for heat tolerance, yield, and nutrition, they aim to expand lima bean cultivation and consumer appeal nationwide.

Three young people standing in a tent in front of many vases of beautiful flowers. The tent is in a field, you can see rows of crops and people behind them in the field.

SCOPE debuts new zinnias, tomatoes, wheat

by Trina Kleist
September 12, 2024

UC Davis’ SCOPE program develops new tomato, zinnia, wheat, and spinach varieties for small-scale organic farmers. Student breeders focus on traits like disease resistance, climate adaptation, and market appeal, collaborating with local growers.

Rows of green bushy plants extend toward farm buildings mid-range, with low mountains at the horizon and blue sky above.

Brummer to lead $900K national search for awesome alfalfa seed

by Trina Kleist
September 09, 2024

A nation-wide project led by Charlie Brummer, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, has received a grant of $936,000 over the next three years from the Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Research Program, within the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Scientists are seeking the genetic basis for breeding new varieties of alfalfa that can withstand the pressures of climate change and evolving pests and disease.