Plant Breeding Content

Christmas Trees’ Distinctive Aroma Helps Ward off Pathogens and Pests

Andy Fell — November 25, 2024 - 8:30am

Each year, nearly 30 million Americans purchase a real tree for the holidays. Growing the perfect Christmas tree takes about seven years, during which farmers need to keep insects, fungal pathogens and hungry deer at bay. While researchers suspect the distinctive piney smell the trees emit plays a role in deterring these pests, not all trees smell the same, and which chemical blends confer resistance is unclear.

Big Data Comes to Dinner

Jocelyn C Anderson — April 29, 2024 - 9:01am

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

Genetic Diversity of Wild North American Grapes Mapped

Emily C Dooley — December 19, 2023 - 8:00am

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

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.

�ٺ��Ƶ Releases 5 Strawberry Varieties Resistant to Deadly Fungal Disease

Amy M Quinton — April 18, 2023 - 8:00am

�ٺ��Ƶ releases five new strawberry varieties resistant to Fusarium wilt, one of the most common reasons for crop loss and death.

Breeding Plants With Genes From 1 Parent

Andy Fell — November 19, 2021 - 11:00am

Scientists are a step closer to breeding plants with genes from only one parent. New research led by plant biologists at the University of California, Davis, published Nov. 19 in Science Advances, shows the underlying mechanism behind eliminating half the genome and could make for easier and more rapid breeding of crop plants with desirable traits such as disease resistance.

�ٺ��Ƶ Releases New Walnut Variety

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

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

Breeding a Better Strawberry

Amy M Quinton — February 25, 2019 - 4:47pm

A team of scientists led by �ٺ��Ƶ and Michigan State University have sequenced and analyzed the genome of the cultivated strawberry, which will help breeders more precisely select desired traits.

Breeding Crops Today for an Uncertain Tomorrow

Patricia Bailey — March 09, 2017 - 2:57pm

Variable weather is creating extreme challenges for crop breeding in California. How do you develop crops that will thrive under certain conditions when you can no longer predict what those conditions will be?

New $9.7 Million Grant Funds Search for Wheat-Yield Genes

Patricia Bailey — December 22, 2016 - 1:01pm

�ٺ��Ƶ plant geneticist Jorge Dubcovsky is leading an international effort to increase wheat yield, using new technology to identify the genes that affect the many facets of overall yield in wheat.