Drought Content

How Tomato Plants Use Their Roots to Ration Water During Drought

Andy Fell — January 02, 2024 - 11:32am

Plants have to be flexible to survive environmental changes, and the adaptive methods they deploy must often be as changeable as the shifts in climate and condition to which they adapt. To cope with drought, plant roots produce a water-repellent polymer called suberin that blocks water from flowing up towards the leaves, where it would quickly evaporate. Without suberin, the resulting water loss would be like leaving the tap running.

Will a Wet Winter End Water Woes?

Andy Fell — March 27, 2023 - 4:17pm

After a series of dry winters in California, the 2022-23 season has brought a series of storms filling reservoirs and piling up the Sierra snowpack. The turnaround led Governor Gavin Newsom to announce the end of some drought-related conservation measures last Friday.

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.

Climate Change Presents a Mismatch for Songbirds’ Breeding Season

Katherine E Kerlin — January 17, 2023 - 6:59am

Climate change presents a mismatch for some breeding songbirds, finds 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study drawing from a decade of data from our Nestbox Highway project.

Water and Drought Experts

Katherine E Kerlin — January 11, 2023 - 1:30pm

51�ԹϺ�� Davis media experts on water supply, flooding, atmospheric rivers, agricultural irrigation and other water supply issues.

Climate Change Is Ratcheting Up the Pressure on Bees

Katherine E Kerlin — October 14, 2022 - 2:43pm

Extreme weather like drought, heat and storms also affects wild and native bees, says Jennie L. Durant in this essay for The Conversation.

Agave: The New Drought-Tolerant California Crop?

Amy M Quinton — August 11, 2022 - 10:00am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis to research whether agave plants could be a drought tolerant and sustainable crop for California, as the tequila and mezcal industry grows.

Leaks an Untapped Opportunity for Water Savings

Katherine E Kerlin — March 07, 2022 - 11:00am

Before a drop of treated water in California ever reaches a consumer’s faucet, about 8% of it has already been wasted due to leaks in the delivery system. Nationally, the waste is even higher, at 17%. This represents an untapped opportunity for water savings, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

VIDEO ADDED: ‘51�ԹϺ�� Davis LIVE’ on California’s Drought and Climate Change

Andy Fell — January 26, 2022 - 10:25am

Just What Is a ‘Resilient’ Forest, Anyway?

Katherine E Kerlin — January 19, 2022 - 11:15am

What does a “resilient” forest look like in California’s Sierra Nevada? A lot fewer trees than we’re used to, according to a study of frequent-fire forests from the University of California, Davis.