Plant Sciences Content

Making High-yielding Rice Affordable and Sustainable

Andy Fell — November 20, 2024 - 10:53am

Rice is a staple food crop for more than half the world’s population, but most farmers don’t grow high-yielding varieties because the seeds are too expensive. Researchers from the University of California’s Davis and Berkeley campuses have identified a potential solution: activating two genes in rice egg cells that trigger their development into embryos without the need for fertilization, which would efficiently create high-yielding clonal strains of rice and other crops.

Less Severe Forest Fires Can Reduce Intensity of Future Blazes

Emily C Dooley — August 19, 2024 - 1:37pm

Low- and moderate-severity forest wildfires can reduce the intensity of future fires, according to new research on "reburns" by the University of California, Davis.

Plant Biologist Venkatesan Sundaresan Wins 2024 Wolf Prize in Agriculture

Andy Fell — July 17, 2024 - 9:36am

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

Researchers Examine How Early Harvest, Storage Affect Tomatoes

Emily C Dooley — June 28, 2024 - 10:04am

New research out of �ٺ��Ƶ looked at what happened at the molecular level when tomatoes were harvested before ripening and stored at certain temperatures. The findings could improve postharvest handling methods and reduce food loss and waste.

Making Human Breast Milk Sugars in Plants

Andy Fell — June 13, 2024 - 11:17am

About three in four babies worldwide drink infant formula in the first six months of life, either as their sole source of nutrition or as a supplement to breastfeeding. But while formula provides an essential food for growing babies, it currently does not replicate the full nutritional profile of breast milk.

Invasive Plant Time Bombs: A Hidden Ecological Threat

Emily C Dooley — March 06, 2024 - 8:30am

�ٺ��Ƶ research finds invasive plants can stay dormant for centuries before expanding and wreaking ecological havoc.

Car Fumes, Weeds Pose Double Whammy for Fire-Loving Native Plants

Katherine E Kerlin — February 15, 2024 - 9:00am

A �ٺ��Ƶ study found that wildflowers that usually flourish after a fire were replaced by invasive plants in places where nitrogen from vehicle emissions were high.

Scientists Sequence Genome for Threatened Whitebark Pine

Katherine E Kerlin — December 13, 2023 - 9:00am

�ٺ��Ƶ scientists and partners sequenced the whitebark pine genome, presenting opportunities to help the threatened, high-altitude tree.

Can This Forest Survive? Predicting Forest Death or Recovery After Drought

Andy Fell — August 29, 2023 - 10:30am

How long can trees tolerate drought before the forest dies?

Researchers from �ٺ��Ƶ can now predict which forests could survive despite future drought. Their new method links precipitation to tree growth, and it can help people decide where to put their resources as climate change affects patterns of snow and rainfall that impact the health of forests.

African CRISPR Course Wins $2 Million in Funding

Andy Fell — May 26, 2023 - 10:52am

The �ٺ��Ƶ African Plant Breeding Academy has been awarded $2 million to train scores of African scientists to advance crop breeding, increase production and improve nutrition for regional crops across the continent.