Xiaofei Zhang

My research program aims to address the needs of small grains crop growers and consumers both nationally and internationally. My work focuses on the following key areas:

1) Yield Increase beyond the Green Revolution: We are committed to uncovering the genetic and physiological mechanisms that drive simultaneous increases in biomass and grain yield, with a particular focus on novel semidwarfing genes. This research is critical for developing wheat varieties that provide high biomass for forage and superior grain quality for food, directly addressing the demands of California growers.

2) Increasing Nitrogen Use Efficiency: By targeting critical phases––early-season biomass accumulation and late-season grain filling––we aim to maximize the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer use. Using drone-based phenotyping for detailed field evaluation, we seek to uncover the genetic and physiological mechanisms regulating wheat growth. Our goal is to develop varieties with high nitrogen use efficiency, thereby reducing the cost and increasing the income of small grains crop growers.

3) Enhancing Nutrition and Health: We are creating and deploying genetic variations in small grains to develop varieties with improved disease and pest resistance, enhanced end-use quality, high nutrition values, and reduced gluten allergenicity. The new varieties will provide consumers with healthier food options while enabling our farmers to produce crops that meet today’s market demands.

4) Accelerating Breeding Technology and Genetic Gains: By leveraging advanced genomics and high-throughput phenotyping tools, we accelerate the genetic discovery of key traits and the development of superior new varieties. 

Overall, my goal is to address the evolving needs of growers and consumers while promoting efficient small grains crop farming. While our primary focus is on California’s small grains community, our findings will be shared across the United States and through strategic international collaborations, including partnerships with CGIAR Centers such as CIMMYT and ICARDA.

At UC Davis, our small grains research focuses on improving common wheat, durum wheat, barley, oat, and triticale.