Researchers at University of California, Davis, are developing a chatbot powered by Artificial Intelligence to help growers, backyard gardeners, landowners and others identify and treat weeds. 

WeedChat will have access to and train itself on a broad array of papers, books, journals and other data that allow it to provide real-time accurate, comprehensive information about weeds and invasive plants, said Mohsen Mesgaran, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences.  

A new program is paving the way for a more diverse and innovative future in food and agriculture. The initiative at UC Davis will invite eight scholars from first generation and underrepresented groups to take part in hands-on research, workshops and training to develop leadership skills, build inclusive communities and share their unique experiences with peers.

Growing beside sleek vertical solar panels, lush green pepper plants flourish at the height of summer. A team of UC Davis researchers are analyzing an agrivoltaics system that combines farming with solar technology to boost crop growth and promote sustainability.

This innovative approach, according to UC Davis Associate Professor Majdi Abou Najm with the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, could be a valuable solution as California faces a hotter, drier climate.

The adult spotted lanternfly is a majestic blend of red, yellow, black, white and tan, but this invasive insect from Asia has a voracious appetite for crops and is wreaking havoc in the mid-Atlantic.

The insects haven’t been found in great numbers in the Golden State but researchers at the University of California, Davis, are on the forefront of finding ways to control the tiny eggs of spotted lanternflies in hopes of protecting key international trade relationships and crops. 

Venkatesan Sundaresan, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Plant Biology and Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, has been awarded a 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture for key discoveries on plant developmental biology of relevance to crop improvement.

Construction officially began on the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation Wednesday with a groundbreaking event celebrating the future $64.4 million facility at the University of California, Davis.

When desert winds stir up dust from the Salton Sea’s exposed lakebed, nearby communities suffer from increased air pollution. The deterioration coincides with reduced flows into California’s largest lake, a new research paper in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds. 

Saturday, November 18
Noon to 3 p.m.
UC Davis Olive Center at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science

Register online

Includes:

-Free tastings of the 2023 limited edition Olio Novello extra virgin olive oil

Bird populations are in rapid decline across North America. While climate change is just one of the many factors influencing North American birds, its effects are significant and can interact with other stressors, such as habitat loss. A team of University of California, Davis, researchers found that the effects of extreme temperatures on avian reproduction can vary depending on the type of environment that birds call home.

At first glance, Orobanche ramosa looks like an interesting blossoming plant, one that could add a unique flair to flower arrangements. But it’s a parasitic weed that attaches to roots, sucks out nutrients and is threatening California’s lucrative $1.5 billion processing tomato industry.