College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Content

Community Development Students Impact Policy as Part of Class

Rebecca D Huval — September 07, 2021 - 1:40pm

In Associate Professor Catherine Brinkley’s class, students don’t just learn about policy — they help to change it.

Introducing the ‘Bloom’ Cycle, or Why Plants Are Not Stupid

Andy Fell — March 02, 2026 - 10:47am

For decades, the basics of plant growth have been taught in grade-school: Plants make their food out of water from the soil, light from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air in a process called photosynthesis.

Egghead’s Weekend Basket for February 27

Andy Fell — February 27, 2026 - 3:55pm

Busy week? Here's a round up of research stories from UC Davis to get you caught up.

Can a Simple Calcium Spray Protect Grapes from Wildfire Smoke?

Andy Fell — February 24, 2026 - 3:39pm

Smoke from wildfires can alter grapes and affect the taste and sensory experience of wine, threatening California’s $88 billion industry as it faces an increase in fires on the horizon. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, and U.S. Department of Agriculture spent last summer applying a calcium spray to grapes to see if the treatment can protect the fruit from smoke exposure.

Enemy at the Stomatal Gate: How Bacteria Trick Plants Into Letting Them Pass

Andy Fell — February 17, 2026 - 4:45pm

Plants have resources, and bacteria want them. Plants have gates on their leaves to keep the thieves out. But a nasty bug called Salmonella has figured out how to trick plants into opening up their safety gates so it can sneak in and live happily inside.

When people eat those contaminated leaves, they can get sick, sometimes severely. Because the bacteria are actually inside the leaves, they cannot be removed by washing.

Frog Love Songs and the Sounds of Climate Change

Katherine E Kerlin — February 12, 2026 - 8:00am

A good love song tells female frogs when the time is right for mating, finds a UC Davis study showing male frogs change their tune as the weather warms.

Biologists and Engineers Follow Goopy Clues to Plant-Wilting Bacteria

Andy Fell — January 23, 2026 - 11:02am

Slippery, drippy goop makes Ralstonia bacteria devastating killers of plants, causing rapid wilting in tomato, potato and a wide range of other crops, according to new research. The work, published Jan. 22 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, comes from an unusual collaboration between plant pathologists and engineers at the University of California, Davis.

Breakthroughs for Preventing Pistachio Hull Split

Katherine E Kerlin — January 22, 2026 - 12:02pm

UC Davis agricultural scientists reveal how pistachio hulls are built and how their cell walls break down, lending new insight for the $2-bilion-a year pistachio industry.

Lessons from the Caldor Fire’s Christmas Valley ‘Miracle’

Katherine E Kerlin — December 19, 2025 - 9:00am

The Lake Tahoe communities of Christmas Valley and Meyers were spared during 2021's Caldor Fire. A UC Davis study reveals which pre-fire fuel treatments worked best to bring about the Christmas Valley "miracle."

Plant Biologists Win VinFuture Prize for Developing Self-Cloning Crops

Andy Fell — December 08, 2025 - 2:11pm

Two researchers at the University of California, Davis, have been awarded a VinFuture Prize in recognition of their work developing self-cloning crops, a breakthrough for sustainable agriculture.