Agriculture Content

Understanding the Threat of Bird Flu

Russell L Thebaud — August 19, 2024 - 9:50am

Since 2022, a new, highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 influenza or “bird flu” has spread worldwide. In the U.S. it has affected over 100 million birds and for the first time, spread into dairy cows and a small, but growing, number of people. At 51�ԹϺ�� Davis, experts in One Health — an approach that considers the health of people, animals and the environment together — are on high alert.

Nothing but death

Dead silence met Marcela Uhart and her team when they arrived at the elephant seal colony at Punta Delgada, Patagonia on Oct. 10, 2023.

Plant Biologist Venkatesan Sundaresan Wins 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture

Andy Fell — July 17, 2024 - 9:36am

Venkatesan Sundaresan, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Plant Biology and Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, has been awarded a 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture for key discoveries on plant developmental biology of relevance to crop improvement.

Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation Groundbreaking

Emily C Dooley — May 31, 2024 - 2:29pm

Construction officially began on the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation Wednesday with a groundbreaking event at the University of California, Davis.

Family Ties

Jocelyn C Anderson — February 20, 2024 - 2:20am

At Boeger Winery, a close-knit family makes award-winning wines.

Furry Forensics

Russell L Thebaud — February 20, 2024 - 2:20am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis researchers are helping to develop methods to identify animal furs based on protein — and help enforce California's fur ban.

Researchers Create App to Help Drones Improve Farm Efficiency

Andy Fell — October 26, 2023 - 2:00pm

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a web application to help farmers and industry workers use drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to generate the best possible data. By helping farmers use resources more efficiently, this advancement could help them adapt to a world with a changing climate that needs to feed billions.

Heat Waves Harm Bird Reproduction on Agricultural Lands

Tiffany Dobbyn — October 19, 2023 - 11:00am

Extreme heat diminishes bird reproductive success in agricultural landscapes more so than in forests, a 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study found.

Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms

Jocelyn C Anderson — September 26, 2023 - 8:15am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis leads the way in sustainable agriculture, employing innovative research to combat the invasive broomrape weed threatening California's tomato industry.

Climate Change Experts List

Katherine E Kerlin — August 05, 2023 - 12:14pm

The interdisciplinary nature of the University of California, Davis, yields a deep bench of climate change experts who can discuss with reporters various aspects of climate change and the many facets of life it touches.

Find experts by category in the lists below:

Scientists Unlock Key to Drought-Resistant Wheat Plants with Longer Roots

Andy Fell — February 27, 2023 - 3:33pm

Growing wheat in drought conditions may be easier in the future, thanks to new genetic research out of 51�ԹϺ�� Davis.

An international team of scientists found that the right number of copies of a specific group of genes can stimulate longer root growth, enabling wheat plants to pull water from deeper supplies. The resulting plants have more biomass and produce higher grain yield, according to a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.