Sustainable Agriculture Content

California Rice and Wildlife Report Released

Katherine E Kerlin — February 27, 2025 - 9:00am

How many acres of rice are needed to support wildlife? �ٺ��Ƶ outlines a conservation footprint for the state's rice in a report for the California Rice Commission.

Vanilla Farmers Search for a Crop and Conservation Sweet Spot

Katherine E Kerlin — February 06, 2025 - 9:00am

Vanilla is vital to the livelihoods of farmers in Madagascar, where the globally popular dessert ingredient is the country’s No. 1 export. A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis.

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

Amy M Quinton — January 11, 2024 - 8:30am

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

Parasitic Weeds Threaten Tomato Plants on California Farms

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

�ٺ��Ƶ 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 �ٺ��Ƶ’ innovative approach to growing crops with less groundwater in drought-prone regions like California. Farm sustainably for a better future.

Lynda and Stewart Resnick Pledge $50M to �ٺ��Ƶ for Sustainability Research

Amy M Quinton — October 13, 2022 - 11:45am

Lynda and Stewart Resnick pledge $50M to �ٺ��Ƶ for new Center for Agricultural Innovation and sustainable agricultural research.

Agave: The New Drought-Tolerant California Crop?

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

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

Diversifying Agriculture to Control Pest Outbreaks

Andy Fell — May 17, 2022 - 3:15pm

Newly published research led by �ٺ��Ƶ ecologist Daniel Paredes suggests that pest abundances are less variable in diverse landscapes comprised of multiple crop types and patches of natural habitat.

"As a result, pest outbreaks are less likely in diverse landscapes," said Paredes, who analyzed a 13-year government database of diversified landscapes encompassing more than 1300 olive groves and vineyards in Spain. The database documented pests and pesticide applications.

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.

�ٺ��Ƶ to Lead Groundwater and Irrigated Agriculture Sustainability Study

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

�ٺ��Ƶ researchers to lead research to find ways to sustain irrigated agriculture and improve groundwater quality and quantity under a changing climate.