International connections including Dan Kliebenstein's lab at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences have led to more than a decade of ongoing collaboration. One result: A breakthrough in understanding how orange trees could fend off -- and perhaps even cure -- the insect-borne bacterium that causes citrus greening and threatens to wipe out the industry.
A new facility to be built east of the UC Davis campus highlights the partnership between the university – including the Department of Plant Sciences – and national agencies to confront challenges faced by consumers and the agriculture industry.
A UC Davis study found most California farmers acknowledge climate change and seek adaptation strategies. Key concerns include water shortages, extreme heat, and wildfires. Farmers need financial aid, research, and policy support to boost resilience.
California farmers spend over $900M annually on weed control. At UC Davis Weed Day 2024, researchers shared updates on herbicide drift, native plants for weed control, irrigation impacts, and new weed-zapping technology for organic orchards.
Assistant Professor Brian Bailey and Cooperative Extension Specialist Elizabeth Mitcham, both of the Department of Plant Sciences, are assisting on a project to create a mechanized shake-and-catch harvesting system for soft fruits without fall damage.
Giulia Marino, a crop physiologist, is the new UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Specialist in Orchard Systems, and a faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). She is primarily based at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier, California, and has a second office in Wickson Hall at UC Davis.
The University of California strawberry breeding program began at UC Berkeley, led by plant pathologist Harold E. Thomas and breeder Earl V. Goldsmith.
The UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program has been a huge success for California. During six decades, the program has developed more than 30 patented varieties, made strawberries a year-round crop in California, and boosted strawberry yield from just 6 tons per acre in the 1950s to 30 tons per acre today.
