Giulia Marino, UC Davis' new Presidential Chair for Tree Nut Genetics, is developing resilient pistachio varieties to help farmers cope with warmer winters, water shortages, and rising costs, enhancing the state's $5-billion industry.
UC Davis doctoral student Matt Davis has been awarded a three-year Rockey Fellowship to research orchard crop genomics, focusing on salt tolerance in pistachios and walnut tissue culture, with support from FFAR and the California Pistachio Research Board.
UC Davis researchers Amelie Gaudin and Jeffrey Mitchell, along with their team, were honored for showing that winter cover crops can improve soil health with minimal impact on groundwater use. Their work supports sustainable farming practices in California's Central Valley.