Plant Sciences

What plants will heal the land when its future environment won't look like its past?

Climate change raises an important question for restoration ecology: What’s the best way to heal the land when its future environment won’t look like its past?

Understanding adaption to altitude, climate could be applied to other crops

With the onset of climate change and changes in irrigation, adapting food crops to grow in diverse environments could help feed the world. Now University of California, Davis, scientists are leading a major new project, funded by the National Science Foundation with $4.1 million over five years, to study genetic adaptation to different environments in maize.

Foundation supports researchers to help expand food availability and sustainable agriculture practices.

Amélie Gaudin, assistant professor of agroecology, has been awarded the 2016 New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Award from the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR).

The award helps fund the work of new faculty and their teams of students and scholars to conduct research with the potential to expand food availability and encourage sustainable agriculture practices. 

Students practicing what they learn, breeding a new pepper

What do you get when you cross a jalapeño pepper with a bell pepper?

An ingenious group of UC Davis students are proving you can create a jumbo, organic, jalapeño “popper,” perfect for stuffing with rice, vegetables, protein and cheese. For the last four years, the young scientists have been making crosses and developing a new variety of pepper with the taste and texture of a jalapeño, an extra-large cavity, and the right traits to thrive on organic farms.

We express our sincerest sympathies, to the families of Vernon Singleton and Kentaro Inoue.

Vernon Singleton, viticulture and enology professor emeritus known for trailblazing research and textbooks that are still used today, died Aug. 26 at the age of 93.

“UC Davis V&E has lost a prominent member of our family,” David Block, department chair, said in a statement on the viticulture and enology website.

UC Davis research studies look at the impact of climate change and what can be done to mitigate the damage.

Research supports productivity and environmental health

Nitrogen is important for producing high-yield crops, and productive agriculture is vital to feeding billions of people worldwide. But as a newly released nitrogen assessment shows,excess nutrients can pollute air and drinking water, and cause serious health and environmental risks.

Two CA&ES graduates among six UC Davis recipients

Two graduates of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are among six UC Davis students and alumni to be awarded a grant under the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to study and work abroad as cultural ambassadors.

Courtney Jallo

Courtney Jallo is both an alumna and employee of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She plans to research land management practices and agroforestry important to the Kandy area of Sri Lanka. 

Tate receives Conservation Impact Award for outstanding science

Professor and Cooperative Extension Specialist Ken Tate, the “go-to guy for all things rangeland science,” has received the 2016 Conservation Impact Award from the California Rangeland Trust. 

For the past 21 years, Tate has conducted cutting-edge research as a rangeland watershed specialist for the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, providing tools for effective rangeland management.

Congratulations to the 1,615 undergraduate students who will cross the stage at one of two CA&ES commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 10, in the ARC Pavilion. We are anticipating the participation of numerous faculty and 60 volunteer staff in this year’s ceremonies.

Our distinguished speakers this year include alumni Richard and Evelyne Rominger, who for decades have played prominent roles in the community and in statewide and national agriculture. Richard and Evelyne Rominger also have been named recipients of the 2016 UC Davis Medal, the premier campus accolade.