Two thousand years ago, lima beans were a food reserved for warriors in the Moche culture of coastal Peru. Today, researchers at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences are leading a program to develop tools and resources to breed better beans faster. Their work is part of a larger effort to create new versions of the delicacy that will flourish in the United States.
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.
Alfalfa expert Charlie Brummer says it's time to "think about redesigning the alfalfa plant from first principles," after 40 years of frustrated efforts to increase yield. He made the remarks at a recent meeting of the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference. Students also presented their research, including trials to grow the crop with less water.
Venkatesan Sundaresan has won a Wolf Prize in Agriculture for developing "synthetic apomixis." The method for creating clonal seed at greatly reduced cost is a boon to agriculture, especially for farmers in developing countries.
Advances in breeding and postharvest handling in strawberries and tomatoes, aimed at reducing the costs of disease in the field and in postharvest, were on display at the recent Strawberry Disease Field Day, hosted by the UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program.
When Joseph Urias transferred to UC Davis from a community college two years ago, he found allies in the Department of Plant Sciences. The flexible program let him customize his learning. Passionate about the interface of plants and people, he dove into the study of horticulture and nursery management: He aimed to strengthen the hands-on learning he was getting at Planting Justice, a nonprofit nursery and community center in Deep East Oakland.
“Education is like going to the gym,” Urias said. “Learning is exercise for your mind.” And like after a run, he’s feeling good.
J. Neil Rutger died on June 6, 2024, at the age of 90. He was a breeder with the United States Department of Agriculture and an emeritus adjunct professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences.
A graveside service with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 21, at the Woodland Cemetery on West Street. A reception will follow at 11 a.m. at the American Legion Yolo Post 77 Hall, 523 Bush St., Woodland.
The University of California, Davis, a leader in the development of world-class strawberry varieties for the California and global markets, is terminating all strawberry licensing agreements with Eurosemillas S.A., which has been a master licensee for older UC Davis strawberry varieties in countries outside of the United States.
As growers face continued reductions in water available to irrigate crops, and while the world needs more food produced and more protein in particular, alfalfa offers an attractive option. It yields remarkedly well under reduced irrigation, and its protein can be consumed by both animals and people.
Anaerobic digesters are commercial facilities that break down food and yard waste to create energy by capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. But even this process creates waste of its own. A new study shows some of that secondary waste can be used as fertilizer, potentially saving farmers the cost of chemical fertilizer, a UC Davis scientist explains at a recent field day event.
