UC Davis' Strawberry Breeding Center received $6.2 million to enhance strawberry crop resilience against diseases and pests. The four-year project will focus on genetic research, gene editing, and breeding to ensure sustainable production.
UC Davis researchers, led by Eduardo Blumwald, discovered a way to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use in cereal crops like rice by enhancing natural nitrogen fixation. This could save farmers billions and reduce environmental harm.
Richard Michelmore and his UC Davis lab are working to breed lettuce resistant to diseases like downy mildew, Fusarium, and corky root. They are exploring genetic bases for resistance and providing breeding lines to seed companies.
UC Davis researchers, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute, discovered that DNA mutations in plants are not random but follow a non-random pattern that benefits the plant. This finding challenges existing mutation theories and could aid in crop breeding and disease prevention.
Drakakaki and her research partners have received a $1.2 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to dissect the molecular mechanisms of plant cytokinesis and cell plate development.
