Food & Agriculture

The U.S Department of Agriculture has confirmed a case of New World screwworm in Zavala County, Texas in a three-week old calf. New World screwworm is a serious parasitic fly that can affect livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. Adult screwworm flies are about the size of a common housefly or slightly larger. Their larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.

As California lawmakers consider legislation that would require “high sugar” warning labels on restaurant menus, a University of California, Davis, study shows that the labels are effective in dissuading diners from ordering sugary items.

The aroma of a glass of chardonnay. The crunch of a potato chip. Taste, smell, touch, sound and sight all influence what people enjoy, buy and trust. For decades, the University of California, Davis, has helped researchers and industry better understand those experiences through sensory science, the study of how people perceive the world through their senses.

Crisp, clean, bright — all words that come to mind when thinking about white wine. Hazy? Not so much. 

White and rosé wines can become cloudy when transported in shipping containers or stored on supermarket shelves due to protein denaturation. While they are perfectly safe to drink, those murky wines tend to turn off consumers. 

The University of California, Davis, celebrated the grand opening of the Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation, a state-of-the-art facility designed to transform agricultural research, teaching and outreach while accelerating solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges in food systems and sustainability.

After the sun sets and darkness falls over the vineyards near Lodi, American barn owls start to glide above the grapevines in search of rodents below. As the birds hunt, researchers at the University of California, Davis, and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, and San Luis Obispo, are paying attention to how noises echoing through the fields influence these nocturnal raptors.

Even if you haven’t heard of Botrytis cinerea, you’ve likely seen it — slowly growing in your store-bought blueberries, tomatoes or even on your beautiful orchids. Commonly known as gray mold, the fungus attacks hundreds of plants. For years, scientists have unsuccessfully tried to breed crops that could resist the fungus. New research from the University of California, Davis, suggests decades of crop breeding strategies may have overlooked a crucial piece of the puzzle: the pathogen itself.

Frank Mitloehner, an air quality specialist, professor and director of the CLEAR Center, will be the new chair of the Department of Animal Science, which has the highest undergraduate enrollment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. 

Dean Ashley M. Stokes called Mitloehner a distinguished member of the faculty who has had a significant impact in animal agriculture, environmental sustainability and public engagement. 

The widespread hypothesis that climate warming will result in unprecedented agricultural pest populations and cause food insecurity worldwide is oversimplified, according to a new study by a team led by Mia Lippey, an entomologist at the University of California, Davis. But the study does indicate that pests fare better in warmer temperatures than their natural enemies, which researchers identified as a cause for concern. 

Once fallow tomato fields on the UC Davis campus are now home to irrigated corn fields growing silage that will help feed dairy cows.

The project is part of a new initiative bolstering sustainability and research efforts in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences by bringing dormant fields back in action in support of campus research and facilities.