UC Davis doctoral student Samjhana Khanal received a $50,000 Schlumberger Foundation grant for her research on disease-resistant lettuce using CRISPR. Her work aims to reduce crop losses and support sustainable agriculture, including in Nepal.
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.
Vincent D’Antonio, longtime UC Davis staff research associate in vegetable crops, passed away at 74. He supported celery and Brassica breeding for 30 years and is remembered for his dedication, kindness, and love of sports.
Louise Ferguson led ASHS Leadership Academy fellows to Washington, D.C., to advocate for $1.3B in farm bill research funding. Fellows met with lawmakers to highlight the economic and health impacts of horticultural research.
Maeli Melotto, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences specializing in plant immunity, has been recognized as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.
The SCOPE project at UC Davis, led by students, is developing new crop varieties for organic farmers, including improved peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and flowers. Their work focuses on better taste, disease resistance, and yield.
UC Davis researchers, led by Steve Fennimore, are studying robots that reduce hand-weeding costs and use steam to combat soil pathogens, improving lettuce yields and reducing chemical herbicide use in the process.
Gail Taylor advocates for vertical farming as a solution to urban food security and drought, emphasizing its role in enhancing, not replacing, outdoor agriculture. Her research focuses on making greens like watercress more nutritious for mechanical harvesting.
Team AggieCulture competed in the Urban Greenhouse Challenge finals at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, landing in the top five out of over 30 teams. Their "Living Gardens" proposal aimed to create sustainable food systems in food deserts.
An international team from Rothamsted Research, U.K., visited UC Davis' Department of Plant Sciences, engaging in discussions on wheat genetics, soil management, climate change, and carbon neutrality. Collaborations and research opportunities emerged.
