��С�� Feeding a Growing Population News

How Plants Become Bushy, or Not

Andy Fell — August 06, 2024

For many plants, more branches means more fruit. But what causes a plant to grow branches? New research from the ��С��, Davis shows how plants break down the hormone strigolactone, which suppresses branching, to become more “bushy.” Understanding how strigolactone is regulated could have big implications for many crop plants.

The study was published August 1 in Nature Communications.

Plant Biologist Siobhan Brady Named HHMI Investigator

Andy Fell — July 23, 2024

Siobhan Brady, a professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center at the ��С��, Davis, has been selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. The prestigious Investigator program, which Brady describes as “life changing,” will provide her with roughly $9 million in research support over a seven-year term, with the option to renew.

Plant Biologist Venkatesan Sundaresan Wins 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture

Andy Fell — July 17, 2024

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

Big Data Comes to Dinner

Jocelyn C Anderson — April 29, 2024

Learn how ��С�� leverages artificial intelligence to transform food and agriculture, ensuring sustainability and health from seeds to stomachs.

Researchers Identify Microbes That Help Plants Thwart Parasite

Andy Fell — March 26, 2024

Bacteria that could help one of Africa’s staple crops resist a major pest have been identified by researchers at the ��С��, Davis. Their findings, published March 26 in Cell Reports, could improve yields of sorghum, a mainstay of food and drink in West and East African countries.

Plant Biologists Identify Promising New Fungicides

Andy Fell — February 29, 2024

A promising new fungicide to fight devastating crop diseases has been identified by researchers at the ��С��, Davis. The chemical, ebselen, prevented fungal infections in apples, grapes, strawberries, tomatoes and roses, and improved symptoms of pre-existing fungal infection in rice.

Maize Researcher Wins Prestigious National Academy of Sciences Prize

Andy Fell — January 23, 2024

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra, a professor in the Department of Evolution and Ecology at the ��С��, Davis, has been awarded the prestigious National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences for 2024.

For This Beetle, ‘Date Night’ Comes Every Other Day

Andy Fell — January 18, 2024

Life on Earth runs on a 24-hour cycle as the planet turns. Animals and plants have built-in circadian clocks that synchronize metabolism and behavior to this daily cycle. But one beetle is out of sync with the rest of nature.

Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein to Launch at ��С�� Jan. 17

Amy M Quinton — January 11, 2024

The ��С�� Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein will advance plant-based, fungal-based and cultivated meat for more sustainable food choices.

Genetic Diversity of Wild North American Grapes Mapped

Emily C Dooley — December 19, 2023

��С�� mapped the genetic traits of wild North American grapes, which will help breeders tackle challenges like climate change.

Can AI Be Too Good to Use?

Andy Fell — December 12, 2023

Much of the discussion around implementing artificial intelligence systems focuses on whether an AI application is “trustworthy”: Does it produce useful, reliable results, free of bias, while ensuring data privacy? But a new paper published Dec. 7 in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence poses a different question: What if an AI is just too good?

Google Weed View? Professor Trains Computer to Spot Invasive Weed

Emily C Dooley — December 07, 2023

��С�� researchers are using AI and Google Street View to spot invasive weeds for a fraction of the cost and time to track them using traditional surveys.

A Mixed Origin Made Maize Successful

Andy Fell — November 30, 2023

Maize is one of the world’s most widely grown crops. It is used for both human and animal foods and holds great cultural significance, especially for Indigenous peoples in the Americas. Yet despite its importance, the origins of the grain have been hotly debated for more than a century. Now new research, published Dec. 1 in Science, shows that all modern maize descends from a hybrid created just over 5,000 years ago in central Mexico, thousands of years after the plant was first domesticated.

Researchers Create App to Help Drones Improve Farm Efficiency

Andy Fell — October 26, 2023

Researchers at the ��С��, 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.

��С��, Mars Researchers Discover Scalable Production Technique for Low-Calorie Sugar Substitute

Andy Fell — October 24, 2023

Scientists at the ��С��, Davis, in partnership with the Mars Advanced Research Institute, have announced a significant breakthrough in the production of low-calorie sugar substitutes, such as allulose. This discovery could help address one of the primary obstacles to the widespread adoption of these alternatives: production costs.

Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms

Jocelyn C Anderson — September 26, 2023

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

Winemaking 101

Tatiana Muniz — July 25, 2023

Making wine can take 1-3 years from fermentation to when a product goes to market. ��С�� students are doing it all in 10 weeks.

Study Reveals Potential Breakthrough in Grapevine Disease Resistance

Amy M Quinton — June 15, 2023

��С�� and UC Irvine scientists identify genes that could be introduced into grapevines to enhance resistance to Pierce's Disease.

Nearly 70% of Private Label Avocado Oil Rancid or Mixed With Other Oils

Amy M Quinton — May 24, 2023

��С�� researchers find that most private label avocado oils are rancid or mixed with other oils or additives.

Sexing Chicken Eggs by Scent

Andy Fell — May 22, 2023

Fertilized chicken eggs can be sexed by “sniffing” volatile chemicals emitted through the shell, according to new work by researchers at the ��С��, Davis, and Sensit Ventures Inc., a startup company in Davis. The work is published May 22 in PLOS ONE.

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