Agriculture Research Content

Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms

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

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

Growing Crops with Less Groundwater

Amy M Quinton — April 25, 2023 - 12:08pm

Learn about UC Davis’ innovative approach to growing crops with less groundwater in drought-prone regions like California. Farm sustainably for a better future.

Bringing Out the Best in Wild Birds on Farms

Katherine E Kerlin — February 23, 2022 - 11:38am

A supportive environment can bring out the best in an individual — even for a bird.

After an E.coli outbreak in 2006 devastated the spinach industry, farmers were pressured to remove natural habitat to keep wildlife — and the foodborne pathogens they can sometimes carry — from visiting crops. A study published today from the University of California, Davis, shows that farms with surrounding natural habitat experience the most benefits from birds, including less crop damage and lower food-safety risks.

Researchers Pinpoint Which Bird Species Pose Food Safety Risk to Crops

Katherine E Kerlin — January 05, 2022 - 9:00am

Concerns over foodborne risk from birds may not be as severe as once thought by produce farmers, according to research from the University of California, Davis, that found low instances of E. coli and Salmonella prevalence.

UC Davis to Lead Groundwater and Irrigated Agriculture Sustainability Study

Amy M Quinton — October 18, 2021 - 9:40am

UC Davis researchers to lead research to find ways to sustain irrigated agriculture and improve groundwater quality and quantity under a changing climate.

New Pima Cotton Cultivars Show Improved Resistance to Disease

Amy M Quinton — August 16, 2021 - 11:15am

Researchers at UC Davis have helped develop three new Pima cotton cultivars that are resistant to Fusarium wilt disease, a soil-borne fungus that can devastate a cotton crop.

UC Davis Releases 2 New Strawberry Varieties

Amy M Quinton — February 11, 2021 - 8:40am

Red, ripe strawberries are the hallmark of spring in California. Two new varieties from the Public Strawberry Breeding Program at the University of California, Davis, will provide consumers with big, flavorful strawberries throughout fall and winter, too.

“These cultivars were developed to provide high-quality fruit from late summer through the holidays,” said Professor Steve Knapp, director of the UC Davis Strawberry Breeding Program.

UC Davis Releases New Walnut Variety

Amy M Quinton — January 21, 2021 - 10:00am

UC Davis researchers have bred a new walnut variety, "UC Wolfskill," which will give growers a way to harvest earlier and boost harvest efficiency.

Low Food-Safety Risk at Northern California Farmers Markets

Amy M Quinton — November 16, 2020 - 10:45am

A new study by University of California, Davis, researchers finds a low risk of contamination of foodborne pathogens on produce and meat at Northern California certified farmers markets, but still finds cause for some concern.

UC Davis to Lead New Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems

Andy Fell — August 26, 2020 - 5:47pm

The University of California, Davis, has been awarded $20 million as part of a multi-institutional collaboration to establish an institute focused on enabling the next-generation food system through the integration of artificial intelligence, or AI, technologies. The award is part of a larger investment announced today (Aug. 26) by the National Science Foundation, or NSF, in partnership with several federal agencies — distributing a total of $140 million to fund seven complementary AI research institutes across the nation.