New tomato lines bred with Solanum sitiens—a wild plant from Chile’s Atacama Desert—may boost heat, drought, and salt tolerance in future crops. UC Davis is sharing 56 new lines for global research and breeding efforts.
Sequencing the whitebark pine genome offers a powerful tool to restore this threatened, high-elevation species, improving disease resistance screening and climate adaptation in weeks instead of years—all at lower cost.
Doctoral student Gen Ha Park was named a George Washington Carver scholar for his work developing heat- and drought-tolerant chile peppers using genomic tools. His research aims to support sustainable farming in a warming climate.
UC Davis researchers discovered that duplicating certain genes in wheat can stimulate deeper root growth, helping plants access water in drought conditions. This breakthrough could lead to higher yields and better drought resistance in wheat.
E. Charles Brummer, UC Davis professor and Plant Breeding Center director, was honored by the North American Alfalfa Improvement Conference for his groundbreaking research and leadership in alfalfa breeding, genetics, and genomics over 30 years.
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.
A UC Davis-led project on poplar trees aims to create sustainable jet fuel using plant-based materials. The research focuses on genetic traits, artificial intelligence, and biofuel production to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat climate change.
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, or FFAR, has awarded a Seeding Solutions grant to the University of California, Davis to study how the microbial community hosted by the Sierra Mixe corn variety provides atmospheric nitrogen to the plant. Seeding Solutions grants are awarded annually in six different challenge groups recognized by the FFAR, with this one falling under “Next Generation Crops.” The grant was matched by Benson Hill for a total investment of $1,855,162
