Areas of Focus

Red jalapeños sliced on a cutting board.
Areas of Focus
The UC Davis Finn is one of two new strawberry varieties bred to be large, sweet, and to ripen in winter. (Hector Amezcua/UC Davis)
The UC Davis Finn is one of two new strawberry varieties bred to be large, sweet, and to ripen in winter. (Hector Amezcua/UC Davis)
Thanks to gene editing, this calf pictured with Van Eenennaam will not grow horns and will not have to go through the dehorning process. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)
Thanks to gene editing, this calf pictured with Van Eenennaam will not grow horns and will not have to go through the dehorning process. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)
Professor Ermias Kebreab is conducting research with twelve dairy cows to find out if seaweed will reduce methane emissions from cow.
Professor Ermias Kebreab is conducting research with twelve dairy cows to find out if seaweed will reduce methane emissions from cow.
These myco-foods, grown from the nutrients of agricultural byproducts like coffee grounds and almond hulls, provide an important new source of protein to feed the world.
These myco-foods, grown from the nutrients of agricultural byproducts like coffee grounds and almond hulls, provide an important new source of protein to feed the world.
Grapes used to make chardonnay wine; (Photo by WellVine)
Grapes used to make chardonnay wine; (Photo by WellVine)
Yeast identified as cause of olive spoilage is now being used to remove toxic compounds from fried foods.
Yeast identified as cause of olive spoilage is now being used to remove toxic compounds from fried foods.
Professor Brett Milligan uses drone imaging and photogrammetry to study landscapes. (John Stumbos | UC Davis)
Professor Brett Milligan uses drone imaging and photogrammetry to study landscapes. (John Stumbos | UC Davis)
UC Davis startup Spectral Analytix applies machine vision, robotics and machine learning to automatically classify or sort seeds and insects. (Hector Amezcua/UC Davis)
UC Davis startup Spectral Analytix applies machine vision, robotics and machine learning to automatically classify or sort seeds and insects. (Hector Amezcua/UC Davis)
UC Davis students Gigi Dielkelman and Astrid Boyd release fish into flooded rice plots at Montna Farms in Yuba City on December 12, 2023. Photo by: Gregory Urquiaga, UC Davis.
UC Davis students Gigi Dielkelman and Astrid Boyd release fish into flooded rice plots at Montna Farms in Yuba City on December 12, 2023. Photo by: Gregory Urquiaga, UC Davis.
A new study from UC Davis researchers sheds new light on how vineyards can mitigate drought effects at a time when California is experiencing a severe water shortage. (Greg Urquiaga/UC Davis)
A new study from UC Davis researchers sheds new light on how vineyards can mitigate drought effects at a time when California is experiencing a severe water shortage. (Greg Urquiaga/UC Davis)
Kirk Pumphrey, left, and Patrick Brown, a distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, right, walk through rows of almond trees at Westwind Farms in Yolo County. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)
Kirk Pumphrey, left, and Patrick Brown, a distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, right, walk through rows of almond trees at Westwind Farms in Yolo County. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)
A pioneering forest management tool being created by a team led by UC Davis ecologist Derek Young will help solve urgent problems such as thinning overly dense forests and tracking tree death among wildfire survivors. Young captured this image in 2019 of the burn scar left by the 2014 Eiler Fire in the Lassen National Forest, in northeastern California. (Drone image by Derek Young/UC Davis Dept. of Plant Sciences)
A pioneering forest management tool being created by a team led by UC Davis ecologist Derek Young will help solve urgent problems such as thinning overly dense forests and tracking tree death among wildfire survivors. Young captured this image in 2019 of the burn scar left by the 2014 Eiler Fire in the Lassen National Forest, in northeastern California. (Drone image by Derek Young/UC Davis Dept. of Plant Sciences)
Frances Moore and the Council of Economic Advisers with President Joe Biden at the White House
Frances Moore and the Council of Economic Advisers with President Joe Biden at the White House
An aerial view of the rust-colored Kutuk River in Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Thawing permafrost is exposing minerals to weathering, increasing the acidity of the water, which releases metals like iron, zinc and copper. (Ken Hill / National Park Service)
An aerial view of the rust-colored Kutuk River in Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Thawing permafrost is exposing minerals to weathering, increasing the acidity of the water, which releases metals like iron, zinc and copper. (Ken Hill / National Park Service)
Spotted lanternfly research at the Contained Research Facility on campus. (Walse Lab / UC Davis)
Spotted lanternfly research at the Contained Research Facility on campus. (Walse Lab / UC Davis)
Emily Schlickman at a prescribed burn in Yolo County, June 2023. Photo by: Emily Schlickman/UC Davis
Emily Schlickman at a prescribed burn in Yolo County, June 2023. Photo by: Emily Schlickman/UC Davis
A group of protesters assembles outside the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento. In the past decade, the city has begun to build a cohesive environmental justice movement, a UC Davis study found. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)
A group of protesters assembles outside the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento. In the past decade, the city has begun to build a cohesive environmental justice movement, a UC Davis study found. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)
Workers install the parking lot solar panels at West Village at UC Davis in Davis, CA.
Workers install the parking lot solar panels at West Village at UC Davis in Davis, CA.
UC Davis researchers have developed a way for food banks to evaluate the way they promote nutrition and health. (Getty Images)
UC Davis researchers have developed a way for food banks to evaluate the way they promote nutrition and health. (Getty Images)
Wendy Liang, a senior majoring in clinical nutrition, holds drop-in nutrition hours for Healthy Aggies in the ARC lobby. Photo by: Jael Mackendorf, UC Davis
Wendy Liang, a senior majoring in clinical nutrition, holds drop-in nutrition hours for Healthy Aggies in the ARC lobby. Photo by: Jael Mackendorf, UC Davis
Students stocking the shelves at the Pantry on May 3, 2023. The Pantry serves to provide nutritious food for UC Davis students who are struggling to pay for meals for free. Christopher Hin, global disease biology major, works at moving cakes into the refrigerator. (Photo credit: UC Davis/Gregory Urquiaga)
Students stocking the shelves at the Pantry on May 3, 2023. The Pantry serves to provide nutritious food for UC Davis students who are struggling to pay for meals for free. Christopher Hin, global disease biology major, works at moving cakes into the refrigerator. (Photo credit: UC Davis/Gregory Urquiaga)
UC Davis graduate students Kamryn Kubose and Aniket Banginwar work on the General Plan Database Mapping tool they helped develop and troubleshoot. (Courtesy, UC Davis Center for Regional Change)
UC Davis graduate students Kamryn Kubose and Aniket Banginwar work on the General Plan Database Mapping tool they helped develop and troubleshoot. (Courtesy, UC Davis Center for Regional Change)

For more than 100 years, the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has stayed rooted in groundbreaking research and a steadfast commitment to addressing the most pressing issues facing California in agriculture, the environment, and human and social needs. Our scientists continue to discover and apply solutions that directly affect communities today, while at the same time, pioneer answers for issues we have yet to foresee or encounter. 

Below is a list of focus areas for the college.

  • Breeding plants and animals more efficiently 
  • Our researchers continue to focus on using new technologies that allow us to rapidly evaluate genetics and phenotyping in plants and animals to produce more efficient, climate and disease resilient crops, maintain and enhance nutrients and the ability to support healthy people, while also limiting impact on the environment. 
  • Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock 
  • By leveraging our understanding of animal science, the microbiome, and their impact on animal gut health, our scientists across multiple disciplines are working to curb methane emissions among dairy and range cattle and other animals. 
  • By-product utilization 
  • Many of the crops we readily produce and process amass a significant amount of waste at various points along the production line. We are exploring how to utilize those potential waste streams as valuable sources of products. Several by-products contain compounds that can be captured and utilized in a variety of resources including soil amendments, food, animal feed and pharmaceuticals.
  • Agronomic practices 
  • How we approach managing our farmlands and utilize integrated practices can have a positive impact on crop production and provide significant benefits to surrounding ecosystems that support wildlife habitat and nearby communities. We are focused on a variety of solutions that include water use, groundwater recharge, cover crops, precision irrigation, soil health, regenerative farming, biodiversity with plants and animals, and organic practices to provide sustainable solutions for the future.
  • AI, Big Data and Bioinformatics 
  • Technology is rapidly advancing almost every area of our lives. From plant and animal breeding to precision irrigation and yield prediction in the field, improvements in food safety, distribution and consumer behavior and choices around nutrition, environmental restoration and understanding wildfires; AI has the potential to provide us with more information and better decision-making opportunities than ever before. Our ability to rapidly assemble and evaluate huge volumes of data, simulate thousands of potential growing conditions, and mathematically model years into the future will ultimately improve our efficiency and efficacy throughout the food system and beyond. 
  • Ecological and Wetlands Management 
  • Researchers are employing cutting-edge technologies such as drone photography and forest mapping with machine learning, remote sensing and big data to address critical questions in forest ecology and land management. These efforts aim to develop strategies for the recovery of forests from wildfire, drought and disease. A central repository will make this valuable database accessible to land managers, ecologists and the public. Simultaneously, environmental conservation and restoration remain vital, particularly in the conservation of aquatic species and waterfowl. By partnering across federal and state levels, these efforts work at multiple scales—from species protected under the Endangered Species Act to the broader health of populations, communities and ecosystems.
  • Environmental Policy 
  • Our world-class faculty members conduct wide-ranging research in a variety of environmental areas including the impact of environmental activism on resource management, how environmental beliefs affect environmental stewardship, the benefits of transportation planning to reduce automobile dependence, the design and economic management of marine fishery reserves, the effects of invasive species on the diversity and functioning of ecosystems, and the role climate change plays on ecological communities and endangered species. We also house research units that focus on the management of the Lake Tahoe watershed and the dissemination of global environmental information.
  • Environmental Toxicology 
  • Air, water, food, and soil are essential components in maintaining a healthy environment. Environmental toxicology, which integrates chemistry and biology, is crucial for understanding how pollutants move through these elements and impact both ecological and human health. By utilizing advanced techniques in the field and laboratory, our researchers can trace the lifecycle of contaminants from their release points to where they ultimately affect people, wildlife, and entire ecosystems, highlighting the vital role of this discipline in protecting environmental and public health.
  • Wildfire Management 
  • Understanding wildfire management in California is essential due to the state's increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, which threaten communities, ecosystems and biodiversity. Effective wildfire management not only helps protect lives and property but also plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and resilience. UC Davis researchers are at the forefront of this work, employing innovative tools such as remote sensing, drone technology, and advanced data analytics to study wildfire behavior and forest recovery. By developing strategies for mitigating wildfire risks, improving land management practices, using prescribed burns, enhancing forest health and better understanding how fire integrates with land and biodiversity, we are helping to shape the future of wildfire responses in California, ultimately safeguarding both human and environmental well-being. 
  • Environmental Justice and Vulnerable Populations 
  • We are focused on actively supporting environmental justice by addressing equity across communities, particularly for those who are marginalized and underserved. UC Davis is promoting policies that ensure equitable access to clean air, water, and healthy ecosystems by fostering partnerships with local organizations, policymakers and community leaders. In 2021, it was estimated that 53 million people accessed food banks and community programs to help feed their families. A team of researchers developed the Food Bank Health and Nutrition Assessment to help evaluate adopted policies and practices for food banks. Through interdisciplinary programs and projects, the university also educates and empowers the next generation of environmental leaders to advocate for and implement sustainable, just solutions that benefit all communities, regardless of socioeconomic status or background.
  • Nutrition 
  • UC Davis is internationally recognized for its top-tier research in areas such as developmental and child nutrition, food intake regulation, and diet's impact on chronic disease progression. This includes studying the influence of maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation on child development. Growing areas of study explore factors controlling food intake and genetic contributors to obesity.
  • Regional Planning 
  • Regional planning and sustainable environmental design play a critical role in shaping communities that are resilient, inclusive and ecologically balanced. By designing landscapes and environments that support essential ecological functions, integrate adaptive and regenerative technologies, and foster equity, we can create spaces that promote both environmental sustainability and social well-being. Holistic thinking, creativity, and community engagement are key to applying design and planning strategies that improve the livability of our cities and towns. UC Davis researchers contribute to this effort by providing resources like a new online database that allows communities to compare general plans for California’s 482 cities and 58 counties. This tool helps guide land-use planning decisions, ensuring that development is both thoughtful and sustainable, in accordance with California’s long-term planning requirements.