News

Monarch butterfly populations have been declining since the 1990s, driven by several factors, including a changing climate. New research from the University of California, Davis suggests rising temperatures may be altering the behaviors monarch caterpillars use to survive, sometimes in ways that increase their risk of death.

These past five months have been a whirlwind of activities, and I have really enjoyed getting to know many of you and learning about your research, curriculum and partnerships. I am so impressed with the level of excellence, professionalism, dedication and community that you all bring to your work. Each month I meet incredible new people and learn more about your research, outreach work and teaching, and I feel so privileged to be a part of this amazing place! 

Two researchers at the University of California, Davis have been awarded a VinFuture Prize in recognition of their work developing self-cloning crops, a breakthrough for sustainable agriculture. 

A new federally funded research project at the University of California, Davis, endeavors to extract valuable components for magnets, lasers and other modern technologies from an unlikely source: acidic wastewater from mines and industrial processes. 

California’s $1 billion processing tomato industry is highly efficient and likely will be able to withstand higher temperatures and traffic congestion with minimal postharvest losses, according to research conducted at the University of California, Davis.

The research, published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, analyzed 1.4 million truckloads of tomatoes transported from thousands of farm fields to processing facilities between 2011 and 2020. 

This holiday season, that glass of wine on your table comes with a surprising backstory. Global wine consumption is down. And the reasons are far more complicated than you might expect. The industry is facing a convergence of challenges unlike anything in recent memory. In this episode of Unfold, UC Davis experts unpack what’s behind the trend, what it means for growers, and whether wine’s place on the holiday table is changing.

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In this episode:

Ecological medicine is a new approach to health science that draws on a very old idea: connecting with each other, with animals and plants, and with the natural world fosters health and well-being for people and the planet. 

“Everything you suspected was good for you -- fresh air, trees, animal companions, purpose, reciprocity -- turns out to have peer-reviewed backing,” said Rebecca Calisi Rodríguez, associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior and director of the Green Care Lab at the University of California, Davis.

We’ve had a busy month, and our faculty, staff and researchers continue to strive for excellence in everything they do. I want to thank our donors who supported several projects last month. We are so grateful for your gifts and commitment to the college!

About 400 years ago, a cross between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc gave birth to cabernet sauvignon. Today, cabernet sauvignon is the world’s most-planted wine grape, dominating vineyards from Napa to Bordeaux. New research from the University of California, Davis, reveals that the grape still carries a kind of gene memory of its parents.

Simple items like hay feeders, giant rubber activity balls and shatter-proof mirrors can improve the health and welfare of stabled animals while also reducing frustration behaviors, according to University of California, Davis, research published in the journal Animals. 

The findings offer a low-cost way for owners to keep horses engaged while reducing the risk of ulcers, fragile leg bones and other health and behavioral issues.