Dandelions are pretty, but weeds nationwide cost homeowners, farmers, ranchers and land managers tens of billions of dollars each year in control measures and lost production. They also endanger fragile ecosystems and can increase threats of erosion and wildfire. At the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, scientists are looking for ways to control pesky plants in rice fields, orchards, rangelands, farms, natural areas ̶ and even in people’s yards. Their work aims to benefit agriculture and the preservation of our natural resources.
Each spring, crews with the UC Davis Department of Plant Science plant popping corn on campus farmland west of campus, then harvest it in the fall. The next spring, that same corn shows up for one of the most popular exhibits during Picnic Day: the corn shelling machine, in front of the Plant and Environmental Sciences building.
Visitors grab a few ears of this special corn and toss them down a shaft. Two mighty wheels break the kernels off the cobs and spit the cobs out one chute. Down a second chute clatter the kernels, which are scooped into a bag for folks to take home.
Graduate student Paige Kouba discussed her research with California legislators as part of a program to train scientists to better communicate with policy-makers. Kouba met with Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar Curry (D-Winters) and other legislative leaders at the state Capitol recently. Her goal is to inform science policy coming out of Sacramento.
Growers will continue to get support and information about the latest research on controlling pests and diseases in their crops through the Western Integrated Pest Management Center that received a $1 million grant for the 2023-24 year.
Farmers can use an easy, on-farm test to figure how much nitrogen their crops need, saving money on fields that already have plenty of the nutrient and boosting production on fields that don’t. Warning: Special equipment you’ll need includes a pair of scissors and a garlic press.
Eduardo Blumwald sees them every year: the freshmen in his courses who wrestle with basic scientific concepts. The father of three knew he could help ‒ by providing relatively simple information about advanced research to high school teachers.
Researchers from the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences attended the 39th biennial Rice Technical Working Group conference, held Feb. 20-23 in Hot Springs, Ark. The conference is hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The nonprofit organization Pacific Horticulture has released a new video describing research to develop irrigation recommendations for landscape plants, the science behind the process, and early ideas for mindful gardeners and landscapers. It features UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences horticulturalist Lorence Oki, the lead investigator on the project.
Louise Ferguson and fellow editors have published a new book in CABI’s speciality crop series about fig cultivation, management, harvesting and marketing. The Fig: Botany, Production and Uses also includes a fascinating review of the historical, cultural, nutritional and economic significance of this storied fruit, ranging from references in holy scriptures to the global market structure for exports and imports.
New varieties of rice that offer more effective weed control with less herbicide were showcased by UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences researchers at the recent Rice Field Day north of Yuba City in California's Central Valley. Amid the West’s ongoing drought, green rice with heads full of grain stood tall and lush in some test plots, while dry, brown stubble poked up in others. Department researchers discussed the impact of letting ricelands go fallow, including potential for pest control and ways to conserve soil moisture.
Experimental robots are reducing the costs of hand-weeding by learning the difference between weeds and lettuce. In addition, steam can clear the soil of fungi and spores that cause lettuce and spinach to wilt, reducing the need for chemical herbicides in the bargain, according to the latest research by Steve Fennimore and his lab at the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences.
A cartoon character that looks suspiciously like a Department of Plant Sciences professor leads an animated, online tutorial that recently won a 2022 Gold Award from the Association for Communication Excellence.
