Xiaofei Zhang

My research program aims to address the needs of small grains crop growers and consumers both nationally and internationally. The research areas I will be focusing on include: 

1) Yield Increase beyond the Green Revolution: Understanding the genetic and physiological factors for increasing biomass and grain yield simultaneously. This will enhance our efficiency in developing wheat varieties with high biomass for forage and high-quality grain yield for food, which California growers highly demand; 

2) Nutrient Use and Environmental Footprint: Identifying factors for optimizing plant growth, particularly focusing on early-season biomass accumulation and late-season grain fill, for efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer. This could mitigate the environmental impact of small grains crops and combat climate change; 

3) Nutrition and Health: Innovating genetic variations in small grains to develop varieties with disease and pest resistance, superior end-use quality, high nutrition values, and low or non-allergenic potential. The new varieties meet the needs of health-conscious consumers; 

4) Breeding Technology and Genetic Gains: Using advanced genomics tools and high-throughput phenotyping tools to accelerate new variety development. With these technologies, we can speed up the breeding process and deliver improved varieties to growers and consumers more efficiently. 

Overall, my research goal is to meet the ever-changing needs of growers and consumers while promoting sustainable small grains crop farming. Beyond serving California’s small grains community, our research findings will be deployed through collaborations across the US and internationally, including partnerships with CGIAR Centers such as CIMMYT and ICARDA. *small grains crops at UC Davis include common wheat, durum wheat, barley, oat, and triticale.