Vincent L. D'Antonio, a long-time staff research associate in the former UC Davis Dept. of Vegetable Crops, died on Sept. 23 in Vacaville, Calif. He was 74.
Doctoral student Marie Klein’s career is getting bolstered with recognition and connections after being named a 2023 Borlaug Scholar by the National Association of Plant Breeders.
A project led by Amelie Gaudin receives $2M to study grazing sheep in orchards. Focus on benefits: soil health, pest control and lower costs. It aims to boost sustainability for organic farmers by developing safety guides.
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.
UC Davis researchers, led by Professor Brad Hanson, combat Orobanche ramosa, a parasitic weed threatening California's $1.5 billion tomato industry. Funded by the California Tomato Research Institute, the multidisciplinary effort focuses on detection, management, and long-term solutions.
Brian Bailey, Dan Kliebenstein, Amanda Crump and Alessandro Ossola were honored by the UC Davis Graduate Program with the 2023 Advising and Mentoring Award. They were among 34 faculty recognized across the university.
This summer, four students from historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, came to UC Davis for seven immersive weeks of research, fieldwork, training and mentoring. The students worked with faculty studying plant, food and other sciences as part of the Plant Agricultural Biology Graduate Admissions Pathways program.
Luscious zinnias, spectacular tomatoes and blue stone-ground wheat were among the organically grown produce on display during the 2023 SCOPE Field Day at the Student Farm at UC Davis.
UC Davis’ student-led program in organic farming will expand to include new crops and new partners, with the aim of exporting its educational the model to other institutions. The expansion is being funded with a $2-million grant from the Organic Research and Extension Initiative.
UC Davis researchers explore electrical weed control as an alternative to herbicides. The project uses a tractor equipped with an electrical generator to deliver electrical energy to weeds, damaging their cells and causing rapid death. The three-year study assesses the machine's effectiveness, its impact on crop safety, and soil health.
Joshua trees burning in the Mojave Desert are the victims of changing patterns of wildfire, fueled by the spread of grasses that are not native to the region, restoration ecologist Justin Valliere told media in recent interviews.
Rikiya Hatano, a fourth-year undergraduate in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, is the recipient of the 2023 Knowles A. Ryerson Award. Hatano, majoring in international agricultural development, envisions using agriculture as a means to empower people in rural areas, providing self-sufficiency, economic stability, and dignity.
Blake Meyers, a professor of plant sciences from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a principal investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, has been named the new director and Novozymes Chair in Genomics at the UC Davis Genome Center. Meyers, who studies plant RNA biology, bioinformatics and functional genomics, will step into the role on March 1, 2024.
Justin Valliere has been hired to expand the Department of Plant Sciences’ reach in invasion and restoration ecology. Valliere started as an assistant professor of UC Cooperative Extension in July. Valliere seeks ways to restore California's native plant communities amid the onslaught of invasive plants and various environmental changes.
