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.

Stop-and-Go Science: Researchers Pivot to Try to Salvage Important Work

Jocelyn C Anderson — April 27, 2026 - 9:00am

When climate change is faster than the speed of science and unstable funding threatens discovery, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis scientists pivot to try to save important research.

Wildfire-Driven Deforestation Rates in California Among Highest in World

Katherine E Kerlin — April 22, 2026 - 9:00am

California has one of the highest rates of wildfire-driven deforestation in the world, and the trend has accelerated over the past three decades, according to a 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study.

Yolo County Basic Income Program Provided Reprieve from Poverty but Not Financial Independence

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — April 22, 2026 - 8:33am

A basic income program in Yolo County — one of the first such programs nationwide — lifted unhoused families above the California poverty line for two years. Families could, for a while, spend less time worrying about money and more time being a family, according to new University of California, Davis, research.

The program provided a monthly stipend to 76 mostly single-parent families between 2022 and 2024, helping them gain housing, food and general wellbeing for two years.

What Does A Record-Breaking Wildfire Season Mean For Life in Alpine Lakes?

Katherine E Kerlin — April 21, 2026 - 10:39am

In the summer of 2020, MJ Farruggia embarked on the first field season of her PhD research. With a backpack full of scientific equipment and camping gear, she hiked high into the Emerald Lake Watershed high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to install environmental sensors and collect water samples from six small lakes and ponds.

Good News for Pasta Lovers: Durum Wheat Resistant to Deadly Stripe Rust Developed

Andy Fell — April 13, 2026 - 4:10pm

On a sunny day in early April, young wheat plants stood waist-high in test fields near the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis campus, their heads full of still-green grain. A walk along some furrows left pants and boots covered with a fine, orange dust. These plants were bred to fight a stubborn pathogen that threatens the world’s wheat: stripe rust.

Rankings Recognize Global Leadership of 51�ԹϺ�� Davis

Julia Ann Easley — March 25, 2026 - 3:00am

51�ԹϺ�� Davis placed second in the world in veterinary science and agriculture and forestry in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.

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 51�ԹϺ�� 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.