Plant Pathology

California’s processing tomato industry, for the first time this past harvest season, agreed to voluntary equipment cleaning and notification guidelines to prevent the spread of broomrape, a parasitic weed that attaches to roots and sucks out key nutrients. 

Four faculty from the University of California, Davis, have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, class of 2025. They are among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and other innovators that the society recognized this year for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

Here are the new fellows, with their fellowship citations: 

Department of Entomology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Slippery, drippy goop makes Ralstonia bacteria devastating killers of plants, causing rapid wilting in tomato, potato and a wide range of other crops, according to new research. The work, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, comes from an unusual collaboration between plant pathologists and engineers at the University of California, Davis. 

Scientists at the University of California, Davis, used artificial intelligence to help plants recognize a wider range of bacterial threats — which may lead to new ways to protect crops like tomatoes and potatoes from devastating diseases. The study was published in Nature Plants.

On the edge of the UC Davis campus sits a world-renowned facility charged with ensuring grapevines, strawberries, fruit and nut trees, sweet potatoes, olives, pistachio, and roses are tested for viruses and pathogens. 

An interdisciplinary team of scientists and researchers from University of California, Davis, are studying agave plants in the Golden State as farmers are turning to the crop as a potential drought-tolerant option of the future.

The research is centered on studying agave genetics, virus susceptibility, pest control, soil management and crop productivity, said Ron Runnebaum, a viticulture and enology professor who is leading the team of researchers at the newly formed UC Davis Agave Center.  

Deborah Golino, renowned plant pathologist, avid gardener and retired director of Foundation Plant Services, or FPS, at University of California, Davis, died Dec. 23.

Golino was a powerhouse, a kind friend and mentor who had a knack for seeing the big picture and making her vision happen. She was approachable yet formidable, known for her epic parties and willingness to help others.

She was 70 and will be dearly missed.

Viruses in soil may not be as destructive to bacteria as once thought and could instead act like lawnmowers, culling older cells and giving space for new growth, according to research out of  University of California, Davis, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

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.