Feeding a Growing Population Content

How Does a Parasitic Nematode Infect a Wide Variety of Plants?

Andy Fell — November 19, 2025 - 10:54am

Nematologists at the University of California, Davis, including Valerie Williamson, professor emerita in the Department of Plant Pathology and associate professor Shahid Siddique, Department of Entomology and Nematology, have long wondered how the the Northern root-knot nematode (Me

Cabernet Sauvignon’s Long Memory Revealed

Amy M Quinton — November 18, 2025 - 9:33am

�鶹��ý scientists find chemical "switches" that control gene expression in cabernet sauvignon remain stable across hundreds of years of clonal reproduction.

A Microbial Blueprint for Climate-Smart Cows

Amy M Quinton — November 17, 2025 - 6:00am

�鶹��ý research reveals which gut microbes in a cow could reduce methane, bringing them a step closer to engineering microbes to create climate-smart cows.

�鶹��ý Chancellor May Leads Delegation to Kenya to Advance California–Kenya Climate and Trade Partnership

Katherine E Kerlin — November 13, 2025 - 1:06pm

�鶹��ý Chancellor Gary S. May led a delegation to Kenya this week to advance a landmark partnership between the State of California and the Government of Kenya focused on climate action, clean transportation, climate smart agriculture, public health and innovation. Chancellor May was joined by Samuel Assefa, director of the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, as well as several university representatives. The delegation was jointly organized by �鶹��ý Global Affairs, Institute of Transportation Studies and the Office of the Special Envoy on Climate of Kenya.

Study Shows Very Dense Olive Orchards Thrive on Less Fertilizer

Amy M Quinton — November 13, 2025 - 10:00am

�鶹��ý researchers found olive trees produce the same yields and high-quality oil when using 25-50% less fertilizer.

Plants Balance Adaptability in Skin Cells with Stability in Sex Cells

Andy Fell — November 12, 2025 - 3:10pm

Mutations drive evolution, but they can also be risky. New research led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, published Nov. 10 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how plants control mutation rates in different stem cells to balance adaptability with safety and stability. The findings have implications for breeding some of the world’s most important fruit and vegetable crops, such as potatoes and bananas.

Bezos Earth Fund Grants $2M to �鶹��ý and American Heart Association to Advance AI-Designed Foods

Andy Fell — October 24, 2025 - 2:35pm

The Bezos Earth Fund has announced a $2 million grant to the University California, Davis, the American Heart Association and other partners to advance “Swap it Smart” as part of its AI for Climate & Nature Grand Challenge. The funding will support research that could help redesign foods, for example optimizing for flavor profile, nutritional properties and lower costs and environmental impact.

Turning Food Scraps into Opportunities

Amy M Quinton — September 30, 2025 - 1:05pm

�鶹��ý researchers have created an online tool to track food scraps and turn them into useful products.

AI Tool to Help Farmers Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field

Andy Fell — September 24, 2025 - 3:24pm

Leaf Monitor, a new mobile tool backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how farmers monitor crops and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition and leaf trait information in the field.

Cheaper, Sustainable Plant Biomanufacturing on Earth and in Space

Andy Fell — September 15, 2025 - 3:31pm

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have been awarded a $3 million National Science Foundation grant to develop new technologies and workforce training programs to grow plants in low-resource environments both on Earth and in space.