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Nematode-resistant wheat can protect tomatoes

cydoval — 2013-05-20T22:51:32Z

Nematode-resistant wheat can be a trap crop to reduce parasitic root-knot nematode numbers that damage the next rotation crop.

University of California, Davis
May 20, 2013

In a study published online in the journal Crop Science, UC Davis scientists describe a nematode-resistant wheat that can benefit crops such as tomato plants. Professors Val Williamson, Jorge Dubcovsky, and Howard Ferris co-authored the work.

Root-knot nematodes cause crop losses around the world and can be difficult to control. In order to reproduce, the parasites need to infect a living plant root. Once they are present in soil, they can survive winter in a fallow field and infect plants during the next growing season. Trap crops—unsuitable hosts that “trick” the nematodes into starting their life cycle but then prevent them from reproducing—are often a better option than leaving the field fallow.

“Once nematodes commit to being a parasite, they have to complete their life cycle,” explains Valerie Williamson, lead author of the study and a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. “If they don’t reproduce, the population dies out.”

: Wheat microplots used for research on root-knot nematodes

Trap crops can reduce the number of parasites in the soil and lessen the effects of the pests on the next crop in the rotation. But crops resistant to nematodes can be hard to find due to the pest’s wide range of hosts, and trap crops are often plants that are less valuable to farmers. In the present study, researchers found a resistant strain of wheat that can reduce nematode numbers in soil and protect the next rotation of tomato plants.

“What’s nice about this finding is that wheat is what farmers often use as a rotation crop in California,” says Williamson.

The researchers were surprised to find the resistant wheat. They had tried a number of different rotation crops before turning to wheat. Wheat breeder and senior co-author Jorge Dubcovsky then gave Williamson a strain of wheat called Lassik. Lassik is similar to wheat that is commonly grown, but it has a slight difference. A small segment of genes from another wheat strain relocated, through breeding, into Lassik.

This relocated segment has no effect on yield or behavior of the crop, but Williamson and her co-authors found that it did have a benefit—it made the wheat resistant to nematodes.

“Dubcovsky gave us this strain because it had other resistance genes in it,” says Williamson. “It turned out, to our surprise, that it also had nematode resistance.”

Once they realized that the Lassik wheat was more resistant to nematodes than the wheat normally grown, the research team validated the source of the resistance by comparing pairs of strains with and without the relocated segment. Then to determine if rotating the resistant wheat with tomato plants would help protect the tomatoes, the authors grew Lassik wheat and used some of the soil to plant tomato seedlings. The wheat had the effect they were hoping for—the tomatoes grown in soil from the resistant wheat plots were less damaged by nematodes.

“If farmers use a wheat that does not have the resistant genes, more nematodes survive and they’ll be there when they plant tomatoes,” explains Williamson. “But if they plant the resistant wheat, there won’t be as many nematodes in the soil.”

Dubcovsky noted that the last three bread-wheat varieties released by the University of California Wheat breeding program and the USDA- supported Triticeae-CAP project all carry this resistance gene and are readily available to growers.

The results from the study offer a promising option for reducing nematode damage. The next step is to verify the findings on a larger scale. Williamson and her team grew plants both in greenhouses and in small microplots. They are now anticipating that agronomists will try the rotation on a field scale.

“We wanted to get the results out there so that people who work in the field, farm advisors for example, can see if it works in practice as well as it did in a controlled experiment,” said Williamson.

View the full article here: https://www.crops.org/publications/cs/abstracts/0/0/cropsci2012.12.0681.

About the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, is the No. 1 college of its kind in the world. Its researchers address critical issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, communities, and human and social sciences through cutting-edge research, top-ranked undergraduate and graduate education, and internationally recognized outreach programs.

An overarching goal is to develop solutions for a better world, healthier lives, and an improved standard of living for everyone. www.caes.ucdavis.edu

Media contact(s):

Professor Valerie Williamson, Plant Pathology, (530) 752-3502, vmwilliamson@ucdavis.edu
Brad Hooker, Senior Writer, Department of Plant Sciences, (530) 752-9716, gbhooker@ucdavis.edu

Don't lose the organism over its genes

cydoval — 2013-05-20T23:15:16Z

Physiology and behavior variations in complex organisms are due to more than genetic variations.

University of California, Davis
May 20, 2013

It’s been said metaphorically that too much focus on the trees can cause one to lose sight of the forest. In a similar check of perspective, a group of biologists, led by a University of California, Davis, scientist, suggests that decades of focus on genes has led the scientific community away from a balanced exploration of the organisms that those genes define — whether they be plants, animals or microorganisms.

: Biologists suggest a shift to a new emphasis on individual organisms -- whether animal, plant or microbe -- and their environments and life histories.

In an article appearing this week in the June issue of the journal BioScience, the researchers assert that genetic variation alone does not adequately explain the intricate variations in the physiology and behavior of complex organisms. They propose a renewed emphasis on studying individual organisms in the context of specific environments, considering in greater depth the unique environmental exposures and experiences over the course of these organisms’ lives.

“Biology’s strong focus on genes during the past 50 years has generated a solid foundation for studying the mechanisms that determine the phenotype — the structure and function — of living organisms,” said Dietmar Kueltz, a professor of physiological genomics in the UC Davis Department of Animal Science.

He noted that despite the wide-ranging practical implications, little is known about how such mechanisms are influenced by the unique lifelong sequence of environmental exposures experienced by individuals. For instance, individuals’ disease susceptibility, stress resilience, coping ability and other important performance traits, as well as complex behavioral patterns, decision making and human psychology are not only determined by genes but also greatly influenced by prior exposures, learning and life-history experiences.

“It is critical that we now emphasize more strongly the complementation of gene-oriented approaches with a renewed focus on the organismal phenotypes in the context of specific environments and life histories, in order to better understand and explain the physiology and behavior of such complex organisms,” Kueltz said.

Kueltz and his colleagues maintain that during the past several decades, biological research has moved away from the organism in two gene-focused directions: inward, toward the world of cellular and molecular biology, and outward, toward the broad-scale evolutionary issues of population and quantitative genetics.

“These two movements resulted in many monumental discoveries and advances that now define modern biology,” Kueltz said. “The challenge now is to make the most of the vast insights from those movements and develop a deeper understanding of how, for example, variations in individual physiological and behavioral traits influence ecological and evolutionary processes.”

He and his colleagues advise that a modern research emphasis on organismal phenotypes will require cross-fertilization and integration of traditionally disparate fields of biology, including developmental biology, physiology, morphology, behavioral biology, neuroscience, ecology and evolutionary biology.

They propose that improved tracking technologies are needed to record life-history exposures and experiences of complex organisms, as well as the environmental variables in their natural habitats at proper resolution. Furthermore, they call for accelerated development of more powerful and widely accessible high-throughput tools for elucidating the structure and function of organisms, just as high-throughput technology was created for comprehensive studies of genetic blueprints.

“There are promising developments under way in all of these areas,” Kueltz said. “We look forward to the advances in the biology of complex organisms that will be achieved when efforts in these technological and organizational areas are intensified.”

The BioScience article represents the analyses and discussions from a 2011 workshop in Arlington, Va., on the future of organismal biology, supported by the National Science Foundation.

Co-authors are: David F. Clayton and Gene E. Robinson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Craig Albertson, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Hannah V. Carey, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Molly E. Cummings, Hans A. Hofmann, and Daniel C. Stanzione, University of Texas, Austin; Ken Dewar and Michael J. Meaney, McGill University; Scott V. Edwards, Harvard University; Louis J. Gross, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Joel G. Kingsolver, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Barney A. Schlinger, University of California, Los Angeles; Alexander W. Shingleton, Michigan State University; Marla B. Sokolowski, University of Toronto; George N. Somero, Stanford University; and Anne E. Todgham, San Francisco State University.

About the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, is the leading college of its kind in the world. Its researchers address critical issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, communities, and human and social sciences through cutting-edge research, top-ranked undergraduate and graduate education, and internationally recognized outreach programs.

An overarching goal is to develop solutions for a better world, healthier lives, and an improved standard of living for everyone. www.caes.ucdavis.edu

Media contacts:

Dietmar Kueltz, Animal Science, (530) 752-2991, dkueltz@ucdavis.edu
Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences contact:

Ann Filmer, Senior Director of Communications, (530) 754-6788, afilmer@ucdavis.edu

Download a PDF version of this article.

Leopold Conservation Award winner shares honor with agricultural industry

cydoval — 2013-05-17T23:38:27Z

Fourth-generation dairyman lauded for his practices that support agricultural sustainability.

University of California, Davis
May 16, 2013

The timeworn water tower that stands in front of the Giacomazzi Dairy in Kings County is a hallmark of the farm's endurance. It proclaims, "Since 1893.”

: Dino Giacomazzi, left, with Jeff Mitchell

Dino Giacomazzi, the fourth generation to run the operation, said cows have been producing milk and the land producing feed every single day of the ensuing 120 years.

In order to maintain the family business in times of mounting environmental pressures and tightening economics, Giacomazzi became a leader in developing completely new production paradigms for dairy industry feed production in the San Joaquin Valley.

Last year, he received the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award for California, and last week he hosted a luncheon at his rural Kings County dairy to raise awareness of efforts being made around the San Joaquin Valley to boost agricultural sustainability.

"I want this to be about all the work being done here. I am accepting this award on behalf of a whole industry of people,” Giacomazzi said. "Every farmer I know is a conservation agriculturist. That's just called doing business.”

In California, the Leopold Conservation Award is presented by the Sand County Foundation, California Farm Bureau Federation, and Sustainable Conservation. The recognition, said Karen Sweet of the Sand County Foundation, "honors ethical and scientifically sound practices that benefit us all, and inspires other landowners as an example.”

Giacomazzi, a founding member of UC's Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation (CASI) Center, for years has evaluated equipment, planting configurations and fertilization approaches in silage production. He worked closely with other dairy operators to build a reservoir of knowledge and experience that is accelerating the development and implementation of conservation tillage practices, said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis and chair of CASI.

"Dino's a person of tremendous vision for seeing a better way and for, as he is fond of quoting Abraham Lincoln, 'thinking anew and acting anew,'” Mitchell said. "He's a rather unique example of someone who has had the courage to disenthrall himself of dogma and create something new.”

In spring 2005, Giacomazzi initiated a demonstration evaluation of strip-till corn planting in a 28-acre field as part of an Environmental Quality Incentives Program contract he had received from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. In 2006, he hosted a public field day to share what he learned about strip-till implements, planters and configurations, an event Mitchell considers the best public field day of his Extension career. Giacomazzi has traveled to Davis to address agriculture students, accepted speaking engagements — such as the keynote address at the launch of CASI last year — and hosted numerous agricultural tours on his farm.

"Dino is a leader,” Mitchell said. "He has opened a lot of eyes to what can be, to how agricultural systems can be improved, to both make money and to be good for the environment.”

During the celebration, Giacomazzi took to the podium to turn the spotlight on Mitchell. Giacomazzi praised Mitchell's personal commitment to sharing conservation agriculture practices. Recognizing Mitchell's distinct character and energy, Giacomazzi said he could think of no more fitting way to honor him than with a customized "Jeff Mitchell Award," which he said Mitchell would hold "in perpetuity."

Another founding member of CASI, Ron Harben, former field officer for the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, also spoke at the event.

"Jeff's enthusiasm is contagious,” Harben said, "but it's solidly backed up with knowledge, experience and the real desire to bring sustainability — both economic and environmental — to agriculture.”

Mitchell travels in the San Joaquin Valley extensively, visits farms from Kern County to as far north as the Intermountain area on the border with Oregon, and takes two or three trips from his Fresno County headquarters to UC Davis each week for meetings, teaching classes and working with graduate students.

"His Toyota Prius has nearly half a million miles on it,” Harben said.
During his presentation at the celebration, Mitchell also called attention to the Giacomazzi Dairy's weathered water tower.

"Think about that. There is something quite profound here,” he said. "There is no better example of sustainability. This is where sustainability is happening. This is the real thing.”

The Sand County Foundation, its major partners — California Farm Bureau Federation and Sustainable Conservation — and its other sponsors — S.J. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Farm Credit — are accepting nominations for the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award until July 12, 2013. Nominations of agriculturalists and foresters may be submitted at the Leopold Conservation Award website, http://www.leopoldconservationaward.org.

Media contacts:

Diane Nelson, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (530) 752-1969, denelson@ucdavis.edu

Postharvest Technology Short Course provides excellent overview

cydoval — 2013-05-17T17:54:14Z

People who work on fresh produce quality, safety and marketability will find answers to the complicated questions they face during the 35th annual Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course at UC Davis June 17–28.

University of California, Davis
May 16, 2013

People who work on fresh produce quality, safety and marketability face complicated questions. How can I find a greener way to protect my crops from pests during transport? How long can I store my bountiful crop and at what temperature so it will still be marketable next month? What’s being done to improve the flavor of fresh fruit?

These questions and many, many more will be answered during the 35th annual Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops Short Course at UC Davis June 17–28, an intensive two-week study of the biology and latest technologies for handling fruits, nuts, vegetables and ornamentals in California.

“It’s a very valuable course,” said Mohit Bansal, food technologist with Earthbound Farms Organic in San Juan Bautista who attended the short course two years ago. “It provides an excellent overview of everything you need to know about postharvest technology, taught by leading experts in the field.”

The first week of the course features lectures, discussions and hands-on laboratory sessions on topics like harvesting systems; cooling, storing and transport methods; safety factors; ethylene; energy use; and virtually everything research, extension, quality control, business, academic and governmental professionals need to know.

For the optional second week, participants visit fields, packing houses, cooling and storage facilities, produce distribution centers, and transportation centers throughout California, home to some 400 different commodities.

“It’s a wonderful tour,” Bansal said. “It’s great to see the best postharvest procedures in action.”

The course is led by a team of experts, including faculty member Elizabeth Mitcham, director of the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center. Bansal says networking with the experts, and fellow participants, helped advance his career.

“It’s invaluable to meet with professors and others in the industry,” Bansal said. “I’m now working on a research project with Marita Cantwell, a Cooperative Extension vegetable specialist at UC Davis, who I met at the Postharvest Technology Short Course two years ago.”

The enrollment fee for the first week is $1,895, which includes all classroom instruction, lab activities, course materials, morning and afternoon coffee breaks, lunches Monday through Friday, and one barbeque dinner. Enrollment for both weeks is $2,895, which includes all week-one activities, plus field tour transportation and continental breakfasts Monday through Friday during the tour.

Enrollment is limited. For details and to register, go to http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Education/PTShortCourse/

Media contact:

Diane Nelson, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (530) 752-1969, denelson@ucdavis.edu

UC Davis Agribusiness Executives Symposium to be Held in Shanghai

cydoval — 2013-05-16T16:48:30Z

Senior agribusiness executives from China will gather in June in Shanghai for an innovative business leaders' symposium coordinated by UC Davis.

University of California, Davis
May 14, 2013

Senior agribusiness executives from throughout China will gather June 14-16 in Shanghai for an innovative business leaders' symposium coordinated by the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis.

The three-day symposium, "Growing Agribusiness in China: Scaling Up and Staying Fresh," is designed to be a practical, interactive experience, useful for executives in all aspects of the agribusiness supply chain from farming and food processing to retail.

It will be held at the state-of-the-art Jiading campus of the CHIC Knowledge Center of Excellence, created by CHIC Group, a global firm specializing in supply-chain management, domestic manufacturing and high-technology industries: http://www.chicfoods.com/news1.php.

: A Chinese interest in adapting modern business approaches to farming has prompted the Graduate School of Management to coordinate a June agribusiness executives symposium in Shanghai.

"Modern agricultural talents, are very scarce in China, according to the survey responses from members of the agribusiness club of the China Europe International Business School Association, especially the senior executives," said Edward Zhu, the CEO of CHIC Group. "However, China is developing modern agriculture and urbanization, which requires a lot of high-end agribusiness talent.

"Entrepreneurs in the field of agribusiness in China can help boost advances in agricultural modernization and promote the development of agriculture," Zhu said. "UC Davis has rich experience in cultivating the CEOs of agribusiness companies in the United States so we hope that the agribusiness program will be beneficial to the entrepreneurs and senior executives in China, helping them enhance the management and operation of their companies."

"UC Davis is uniquely qualified to be partnering with the CHIC Knowledge Center of Excellence to offer what we believe is a first-of-its-kind series of executive education programs to bring our deep agribusiness knowledge and insight about the China, U.S. and global markets to the table," said Steven Currall, dean and professor of management at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, who will be attending the forum.

"The combined expertise of our internationally ranked business and agriculture schools, located in the heart of California's 'gold country' of global agriculture, will assist Chinese companies in scaling up and modernizing their agricultural practices," he said.

"As the Chinese market continues to evolve towards global standardization, attendees will find the lessons from this three-day event essential and directly applicable to the growth, success and innovation of their agribusinesses," Currall said.

The symposium program will be delivered by leading industry and agricultural faculty experts with practical knowledge and proven track records of success in their fields, including case-study presenter Charles Sweat, CEO of Earthbound Farms. During more than 25 years, Earthbound has grown from a 2.5-acre farm to become the United States' largest grower of organic produce and the first producer to successfully launch prewashed, packaged salad for retail sale.

"I am excited to be a part of this program at an especially exciting time for agriculture in China," Sweat said. "There is tremendous opportunity for business-savvy agricultural entrepreneurs in China who are willing to commit to developing organic agriculture with integrity," Sweat said.

"Those who make that commitment can be on the ground floor of building a thriving and trusted food-production system that can feed China's growing population with healthy, organic food, while also encouraging international trade," he said.

Four themes will be presented: scaling up with quality product, hiring and keeping the best talent, best practices in food safety, and global organic farming.

"China is the world's largest agricultural economy and a very large trader in global food markets," said UC Davis Professor Colin Carter, an agricultural economist and leading expert on China's grain markets who will be an active presenter during the symposium.

"With rising incomes and increased urbanization, food consumption trends are shifting in China," Carter said. "This symposium is perfectly timed to help agribusiness firms situate themselves for the coming transformation of China's food economy."

The June symposium is designed to actively engage participants in developing a business growth plan through the use of personal assessments, small-group discussions and large-group idea sharing. Review materials and action-plan templates will be provided to participants, equipping them to create growth plans, during the symposium to take back to their businesses for implementation.

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management plans to offer additional CEO symposia covering topics relevant to other sectors of the agribusiness market in China and to launch an Agribusiness Certificate Program for senior managers of agribusiness companies in China to help further develop their business skills related to this market.

More information about the symposium series, including the program and speakers list, is available online at: http://gsm.ucdavis.edu/executive-education/china-global-agribusiness-June-2013.

About the UC Davis Graduate School of Management

Dedicated to preparing innovative leaders for global impact, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management is consistently ranked among the premier business schools in the United States and internationally.

The school's faculty members are globally renowned for their teaching excellence and pioneering research in advancing management thinking and best practices. With prime locations in Northern California's economic hubs, the school provides a bold, innovative approach to management education to full-time MBA students and Master of professional Accountancy students at the UC Davis campus, and part-time MBA students in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as custom and open-enrollment executive education.

About the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

An overarching goal is to develop solutions for a better world, healthier lives, and an improved standard of living for everyone. www.caes.ucdavis.edu

Media contact(s):

Wendy Beecham, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, (530) 752-1637, wabeecham@ucdavis.edu
Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu

View this story on the Web at
http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10591

Impacts of climate instability on Southwest

cydoval — 2013-05-09T15:33:04Z

In an era of climate instability, the southwestern U.S. faces many environmental and agricultural challenges, which are addressed in a new book.

University of California, Davis
May 8, 2013

New book outlines impacts of climate instability on Southwest

In an era of increasing climate instability, the southwestern United States faces strained water resources, greater prevalence of tree-killing organisms, and potentially significant alterations of agricultural infrastructure.

These changes are among those detailed in a new book, "Assessment of Climate Change in the Southwest United States," which features contributions from several researchers at the University of California, Davis.

The book, released May 2, through Island Press, is one of 10 regional technical contributions to the 2013 National Climate Assessment, which was released in draft form earlier this year. The NCA provides input to the United States president and Congress every four years on the status of climate change.

Projected increases in temperature and changes in precipitation in the Southwest — from the California coast to the plains of eastern Colorado and New Mexico — will present challenges for managing ecosystems, water, agriculture, energy supply and delivery, transportation, and human health, the book reports.

"Climate change is affecting ecosystems and society across the Southwest," said Mark Schwartz, an environmental science and policy professor and director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis. "These changes affect California from the Sierra to the sea, where everything from how we produce our food, obtain our water, and protect our natural heritage are impacted. Human communities need to make decisions about where and how they wish to live as climate changes. This volume is a major step in informing critical adaptation decisions."

The book includes major contributions from several other scientists affiliated with the John Muir Institute at UC Davis. Environmental science and policy researcher Erica Fleishman and civil and environmental engineering professor Debbie Niemeier were lead authors on the ecosystems and transportation chapters, respectively.

Other UC Davis contributors include:

Louise Jackson, professor in the land, air and water resources department
Beth Rose Middleton, assistant professor of Native American studies
William Reisen, research entomologist in the Center for Vectorborne Disease
Christopher Barker, an assistant adjunct professor in the Center for Vectorborne Disease

The book is a product of the Southwest Climate Alliance, a consortium of researchers from six institutions: UC Davis, UCLA, University of Arizona, University of Colorado, Desert Research Institute, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The scientists are affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment Program and the U.S. Department of the Interior Southwest Climate Science Center.

The volume blends the contributions of 120 experts, affiliated with more than 30 institutions, in climate science, economics, ecology, engineering, geography, hydrology, planning, resource management and other disciplines.

The new book stresses the choices available to society to reduce the causes and effects of climate change in the region. It notes the steps governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals are taking to improve energy efficiency, improve water supply reliability, decrease wildfire risk, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

About the John Muir Institute of the Environment

The John Muir Institute of the Environment champions science and technological innovation, provides campuswide leadership, hosts centers and projects, and seeds research and educational initiatives to solve real-world environmental problems. The institute links science and technology to policy by providing the intellectual setting for interactions between researchers, regulatory agencies, policymakers and the public.

About the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Additional information:

Download copies of book chapters and the book's summary at the National Climate Assessment website http://www.swcarr.arizona.edu
Download book cover photo http://photos.ucdavis.edu/albums.php?albumId=235723

Media contact(s):

Erica Fleishman, John Muir Institute of the Environment, (530) 754-9167, efleishman@ucdavis.edu
Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-7704, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences contact:

Ann Filmer, Senior Director of Communications, (530) 754-6788, afilmer@ucdavis.edu

Kinsella Prize winner helps uncover secrets of human breast milk

cydoval — 2013-05-08T20:34:42Z

David Dallas, who recently completed his Ph.D. in nutritional biology, has been awarded the John E. Kinsella Memorial Prize for his outstanding research on human breast milk protein digestion.

University of California, Davis
May 8, 2013

David Dallas, who recently completed graduate studies in nutritional biology, has been awarded the John E. Kinsella Memorial Prize for outstanding research on his doctoral dissertation.

Building on interdisciplinary studies conducted at UC Davis on the composition and protective qualities of human breast milk, Dallas characterized N-linked glycans, a component of human breast milk that is associated with beneficial health effects, but has undetermined functions. Dallas’ doctoral work identified 500 novel peptides, compounds never before identified in human milk.

“I became interested in this work because I wanted to uncover the mysterious molecules in breast milk for their structure and function,” said Dallas. “I want to discover those molecules and apply them to infant and even adult nutrition.”

Breast milk is a complex fluid that includes bioactive compounds critical for the protection and development of the infant in the first months of life. Breast-feeding is one of the main factors guiding the composition of the infant gut microbiota as babies grow.

Ultimately, Dallas’ work can be applied to improve the health of premature infants, who are at much higher risk of infection, developmental disorders, and mortality than full-term infants who are fed breast milk. The greatly reduced digestive capability of premature infants means that these infants are not breaking down milk proteins in the same way as term infants, and may therefore be missing many bioactive compounds encrypted in human milk proteins.

The Kinsella Memorial Prize was established in 1994 by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis to honor the late John Kinsella, former dean of the college and a professor of food science and technology. Graduate groups can nominate one dissertation each year for the quality and originality of an individual’s work, its multidisciplinary impact, and its importance to the college’s mission. The prize recipient is awarded $3,000.

Dallas was nominated for the Kinsella award by his adviser, Professor Bruce German, who is director of the Foods for Health Institute and a faculty member in the Department of Food Science and Technology. In his nomination letter, German noted that Dallas’ work required collaboration with researchers in agriculture, engineering, medicine, and chemistry.

Dallas completed his dissertation in June 2012 and is continuing to investigate human milk protein digestion as a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of food science and technology professors Daniela Barile and Bruce German, as well as chemistry professor Carlito Lebrilla.

Media contact:

Robin DeRieux, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (530) 752-8244, rderieux@ucdavis.edu.

Improving stream habitats in California’s Scott River

cydoval — 2013-05-08T22:44:49Z

A UC Davis team is developing a groundwater management tool for better streamflow conditions for salmon and steelhead in northern California's Scott River Valley.

University of California, Davis
May 9, 2013

Researchers propose tool to improve stream habitats in California’s Scott River

A team of University of California, Davis, scientists is developing a groundwater management tool that could lead to better streamflow conditions for salmon and steelhead in northern California's Scott River Valley, which provides critical fish habitats within the Klamath Basin.

This mountain valley also supports an agricultural economy composed of small family farms and ranches, raising alfalfa hay, pasture, and cattle. Regulatory agencies, farmers, ranchers and the local community are working to find win-win solutions for both fish habitats and agriculture.

"For most other rivers in California, summer and fall water flows are entirely dictated by dams that have water behind them," said Thomas Harter, a Cooperative Extension groundwater hydrologist in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources who led the study. "Scott River is very dependent on the groundwater system."

The 57-mile-long, undammed Scott River is a tributary of the Klamath River, and portions of it are designated as a federal and state Wild and Scenic River. A combination of irrigated agriculture in Scott River Valley, a lack of streamside shade on the river, and climate change has led to warmer river temperatures and reduced late summer and fall stream flows on the river, particularly in dry years, Harter said.

In a recent report to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the researchers summarized the hydrology of the Scott Valley, gathering data about rainfall, climate, soils, land use, irrigation, and groundwater flows distributed across the basin for the past 21 years. Harter will combine this information into an integrated hydrologic model, expected to be complete in early 2014.

Scott Valley is addressing the issue on multiple frontiers, including riparian management and the recent development of a groundwater management plan. The UC Davis tool will be used to evaluate future groundwater management scenarios, which could include: How do irrigation management practices affect flow and temperature in the river? What are the effects of allowing for more beaver dams? How can additional water recharge during spring and early summer be used to support the aquifer during the critical late summer period?

"The local community and other stakeholders have a number of ideas on groundwater management that could benefit the stream flow," Harter said. "This hydrologic model will provide the physical framework to evaluate those ideas. It will provide guidance on the possible direction that groundwater management can take in the Scott Valley."

The hydrologic tool could help inform decision-makers and regulatory agencies involved in the issue of balancing salmon protection and water management along the Scott River.

As agencies, decision-makers, farmers, fishermen, and the public grapple with the questions posed by a changing climate and a changing river, the UC Davis hydrologic tool is expected to help provide science-based answers.

Background

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a Total Maximum Daily Load implementation program pursuant to the Clean Water Act. The program requested Siskiyou County develop a groundwater study plan to understand how surface water temperature might be made cooler through its connection with groundwater.

The county approached Harter to oversee the development of the plan, which was funded by the board and adopted by the county in 2008. The county Board of Supervisors established the Scott Valley Groundwater Advisory Committee in 2011 to address groundwater issues. The committee served as a resource for the new report, which is part of the original study plan effort and was also funded by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

About the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Additional information:

Read the report http://groundwater.ucdavis.edu/Research/ScottValley/

Media contacts:

Thomas Harter, UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources, (530) 400-1784, thharter@ucdavis.edu
Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-7704, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences contact:

Ann Filmer, Senior Director of Communications, (530) 754-6788, afilmer@ucdavis.edu

Health defects found in fish exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil spill

cydoval — 2013-05-06T17:19:00Z

Crude oil toxicity continued to sicken a sentinel Gulf Coast fish species for at least more than a year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, according to new findings from a research team that includes a University of California, Davis, scientist.

University of California, Davis
May 3, 2013

: Gulf killifish embryos exposed to sediments from oiled locations show developmental abnormalities, including heart defects, delayed hatching and reduced hatching success. (Benjamin Dubansky/photo)

With researchers from Louisiana and South Carolina, the scientists found that Gulf killifish embryos exposed to sediments from oiled locations in 2010 and 2011 show developmental abnormalities, including heart defects, delayed hatching and reduced hatching success. The killifish is an environmental indicator species, or a “canary in the coal mine,” used to predict broader exposures and health risks.

The findings, posted online in advance of publication in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, are part of an ongoing collaborative effort to track the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Gulf killifish populations in areas of Louisiana that received heavy amounts of oil.

Other species that share similar habitats with the Gulf killifish, such as redfish, speckled trout, flounder, blue crabs, shrimp and oysters — may be at risk of similar effects.

“These effects are characteristic of crude oil toxicity,” said co-author Andrew Whitehead, an assistant professor of environmental toxicology at UC Davis. “It’s important that we observe it in the context of the Deepwater Horizon spill because it tells us it is far too early to say the effects of the oil spill are known and inconsequential. By definition, effects on reproduction and development — effects that could impact populations — can take time to emerge.”

: Gulf killifish embryos exposed to sediments from oiled locations show developmental abnormalities, including heart defects, delayed hatching and reduced hatching success. (Benjamin Dubansky/photo)

Killifish are abundant in the coastal marsh habitats along the Gulf Coast. Though not fished commercially, they are an important forage fish and a key member of the ecological community. Because they are nonmigratory, measurements of their health are indicative of their local environment, making them an ideal subject for study.

The researchers collected Gulf killifish from an oiled site at Isle Grande Terre, La., and monitored them for measures of exposure to crude oil. They also exposed killifish embryos in the lab to sediment collected from oiled sites at Isle Grande Terre within Barataria Bay in Louisiana.

“Our findings indicate that the developmental success of these fish in the field may be compromised,” said lead author Benjamin Dubansky, who recently earned his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

Whitehead said the report’s findings may predict longer-term impacts to killifish populations. However, oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill showed up in patches, rather than coating the coastline. That means some killifish could have been hit hard by the spill while others were less impacted.

Whitehead said it is possible that some of the healthier, less impacted killifish could buffer the effects of the spill for the population as a whole.

The research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and the National Institutes of Health.

The other researchers in the study are Fernando Galvez, associate professor of biological sciences at Louisiana State University; and Charles D. Rice, professor of biological sciences at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. The researchers have tracked the impact of the oil on killifish since the Deepwater Horizon spill occurred in April 2010.

About UC Davis

For more than 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world. Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has more than 33,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty and more than 21,000 staff, an annual research budget of nearly $750 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges — Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science. It also houses six professional schools — Education, Law, Management, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing.

Additional information:

Read the report
Download photos of researcher, killifish, and embryo

Media contact(s):

Andrew Whitehead, Environmental Toxicology, (530) 754-8982, awhitehead@ucdavis.edu
Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-7704, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu

Important source of greenhouse gas emissions from farmland underestimated

cydoval — 2013-05-06T17:19:16Z

Changes in agricultural practices could reduce soil emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide and the atmospheric pollutant nitric oxide, according to a new study by scientists at the University of California, Davis.

University of California, Davis
May 3, 2013

“Agriculture is the main source of nitrous oxide globally, so this study is a starting point to help us understand how to manage and control it,” said UC Davis professor of soil biogeochemistry William Horwath, whose lab conducted the study. Horwath holds the J.G. Boswell Endowed Chair in Soil Science at UC Davis. The work was published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

: By manipulating oxygen levels and using isotopic analysis, the researchers found the amount of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, increased when oxygen was extremely limited.

The study was an effort to understand the sources of nitrous oxide and nitric oxide by different microbial processes, especially following the application of certain fertilizer nitrogen types.

Previous studies assumed that nitrous oxide production through ammonia oxidation occurs mainly when there is abundant oxygen in soils.

However, by manipulating oxygen levels and using isotopic analysis, the researchers found the reverse: The amount of nitrous oxide increased through this process when oxygen was extremely limited.

In their paper, the authors said their results imply that management practices such as fertilizer choice affect how much nitrous oxide is released. Specifically, to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, fertilizer applications of urea should be avoided in soils where oxygen is limited, they wrote.

On the other hand, practices that increase soil aeration, reduce compaction, and enhance soil structure using organic matter could decrease nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils. Using nitrification inhibitors could help, as well.

“The results of this study will change the way we think about the source of nitrous oxide from soil,” Horwath said. “It will help researchers and people making fertilizer recommendations begin to understand that they need to consider different soil processes more explicitly.”

The study’s other co-authors include lead author Xia Zhu of the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources researchers Martin Burger and Timothy Doane. Funding for the study was provided through the J.G. Boswell Endowed Chair in Soil Science at UC Davis.

About UC Davis

Media contact(s):

William Horwath, UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources, (530) 754-6029, wrhorwath@ucdavis.edu
Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-7704, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu

Gene discovery may yield lettuce that will sprout in hot weather

cydoval — 2013-05-06T17:21:46Z

A team of researchers, led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist, has identified a lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germination during hot weather — a discovery that could lead to lettuces that can sprout year-round, even at high temperatures.

University of California, Davis
May 3, 2013

The study also included researchers from Arcadia Biosciences and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, India.

: Discovering the gene mechanism that inhibits hot-weather germination in lettuce seeds could be increasingly important as global temperatures rise plant, predicts plant scientist Kent Bradford.

The finding is particularly important to the nearly $2 billion lettuce industries of California and Arizona, which together produce more than 90 percent of the nation’s lettuce. The study results appear online in the journal The Plant Cell.

“Discovery of the genes will enable plant breeders to develop lettuce varieties that can better germinate and grow to maturity under high temperatures,” said the study’s lead author Kent Bradford, a professor of plant sciences and director of the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center.

“And because this mechanism that inhibits hot-weather germination in lettuce seeds appears to be quite common in many plant species, we suspect that other crops also could be modified to improve their germination,” he said. “This could be increasingly important as global temperatures are predicted to rise.”

Most lettuce varieties flower in spring or early summer and then drop their seeds — a trait that is likely linked to their origin in the Mediterranean region, which, like California, characteristically has dry summers. Scientists have observed for years that a built-in dormancy mechanism seems to prevent lettuce seeds from germinating under conditions that would be too hot and dry to sustain growth. While this naturally occurring inhibition works well in the wild, it is an obstacle to commercial lettuce production.

In the California and Arizona lettuce industries, lettuce seeds are planted somewhere every day of the year — even in September in the Imperial Valley of California and near Yuma, Ariz., where fall temperatures frequently reach 110 degrees.

In order to jump-start seed germination for a winter crop in these hot climates, lettuce growers have turned to cooling the soil with sprinkler irrigation or priming the seeds to germinate by pre-soaking them at cool temperatures and re-drying them before planting — methods that are expensive and not always successful.

In the new study, researchers turned to lettuce genetics to better understand the temperature-related mechanisms governing seed germination. They identified a region of chromosome six in a wild ancestor of commercial lettuce varieties that enables seeds to germinate in warm temperatures. When that chromosome region was crossed into cultivated lettuce varieties, those varieties gained the ability to germinate in warm temperatures.

Further genetic mapping studies zeroed in on a specific gene that governs production of a plant hormone called abscisic acid — known to inhibit seed germination. The newly identified gene “turns on” in most lettuce seeds when the seed is exposed to moisture at warm temperatures, increasing production of abscisic acid. In the wild ancestor that the researchers were studying, however, this gene does not turn on at high temperatures. As a result, abscisic acid is not produced and the seeds can still germinate.

The researchers then demonstrated that they could either “silence” or mutate the germination-inhibiting gene in cultivated lettuce varieties, thus enabling those varieties to germinate and grow even in high temperatures.

Other researchers on the study were: Post-doctoral researcher Heqiang Huo and staff researcher Peetambar Dahal, both of the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences; Keshavulu Kunusoth of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, India; and Claire McCallum of Arcadia Biosciences, which provided the lettuce lines with variants of the target gene to help confirm the study’s findings.

Funding for the study was provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation.

About Arcadia Biosciences

Based in Davis, Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on the development of agricultural products that improve the environment and enhance human health. Arcadia’s agronomic traits, including NUE, Water Efficiency, Salt Tolerance, Heat Tolerance and Herbicide Tolerance, are all aimed at making agricultural production more economically efficient and environmentally sound. Arcadia’s health technologies and products create healthier nutritional ingredients and foods with lower cost of production. For more information, visit http://www.arcadiabio.com.

About UC Davis

Media contact(s):

Kent Bradford, Seed Biotechnology Center, (530) 752-6087, kjbradford@ucdavis.edu
Jeff Bergau, Arcadia Biosciences, (312) 217-0419, jeff.bergau@arcadiabio.com
Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu

Olive oil ‘fridge test’ doesn’t reliably detect fraud

cydoval — 2013-03-21T17:38:49Z

Can you determine the purity of your extra virgin olive oil by whether solidifies in the fridge? No, according to new research from the UC Davis Olive Center.

University of California, Davis
March 21, 2013

Extra virgin olive oil is tasty and excellent for your health, but experts say as much as 70 percent of it sold in America is adulterated, or of a lower grade. How can you tell if your brand is the real deal?

One notion — the so-called “fridge-test” theory — says you can determine the purity of your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by putting it in your refrigerator. If it solidifies, you can trust your EVOO is pure — or so the theory goes.

Is that scientifically accurate?

No, according to new research from the UC Davis Olive Center. Testing seven samples under cold conditions over eight days, researchers discovered the fridge test is unreliable in detecting either the purity or quality of olive oil.

: UC Davis Olive Center Director Dan Flynn.

“None of our samples showed any signs of congealing after 60 hours in a laboratory refrigerator set to 40.5 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center. “Even after 180 hours, the samples never fully solidified.”

The fridge-test theory surfaced on a recent episode of The Dr. Oz Show which aired Feb. 11, 2013 to more than 3 million viewers. While cautioning his method isn’t fool-proof, Dr. Oz. encouraged viewers to test the purity of EVOO by seeing if it solidifies in the fridge.

“After the show aired, we were swamped with calls from people who were concerned they were being ripped off,” Flynn said.

So the Olive Center conducted a study. They refrigerated seven samples, including two EVOOs, an olive oil, a canola oil, a safflower oil, and two blends. Some samples showed minor congealing at the bottom of the bottles, but none solidified completely.

“It’s true that waxes and long-chain fatty acids in extra virgin olive oil can lead to the oil solidifying in the cold, although relative amounts of these compounds vary from oil to oil,” the study said.

Olive oils are graded based on how the oil is extracted from olives and on the acidity of the pressed oil. True extra virgin olive oil is extracted from olives using only pressure, a process known as cold pressing, as opposed to other mechanical or chemical means. Extra virgin olive oil is more expensive than other grades and considered to have the finest, fruitiest flavor.

Using sensory and chemistry testing, the UC Davis Olive Center is working on dependable methods for detecting when an extra virgin olive oil is fraudulently labeled. In the meantime, the center advises consumers to choose an oil within 15 months of the harvest day (not the best before date), look for a certification seal indicating that the oil passed chemical and sensory tests, and seek (and store) oils protected from light.

Food pioneer tells Aggie Ambassadors to follow their passion

cydoval — 2013-03-05T19:06:41Z

Ann Evans, a leader in California’s sustainable food movement, recently told a group of Aggie Ambassadors—student leaders in the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—to follow their passion to find a fulfilling career.

University of California, Davis
March 5, 2013

Ann Evans, a leader in California’s sustainable food movement, recently told a group of Aggie Ambassadors—student leaders in the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—to follow their passion to find a fulfilling career.

: UC Davis alumna Ann Evans tells a group of Aggie Ambassadors how her career evolved from the time she was a consumer food science undergraduate. Photo by Tyler Baum/UC Davis

“You have within you the power to make changes in our food system that will add significantly to the quality of life, to the local or national economy, and to the creation of community,” Evans said. “How do you know what to do? You’re getting an excellent education here at UC Davis. Combine this knowledge with your passion and you will make a difference in our world.”

As a UC Davis undergraduate student in the early 1970s, Evans worked with community development professor Isao Fujimoto to create access to healthy food. She reminisced about cutting bulk cheese in her living room with other members of the “People’s Food Conspiracy” in her downtown Davis home so that locals could have access to a fresh, affordable food option. This is where the ideas for the Davis Farmers Market and the Davis Food Co-op emerged. She would later join with local growers and fellow community members to found the cooperative and the market.

In 1975, Evans earned her bachelor’s degree in consumer food science. She went to work at the state Department of Consumer Affairs as a program manager in cooperative development and later as an analyst in the department’s legislative unit. For a time Evans worked in the state Assembly as a consultant and as chief of staff to Assemblywoman Delaine Eastin.

Evans’ commitment to creating a better and healthier lunch system motivated her in 2000 to cofound the Davis Farm to School program, which seeks to increase farm-fresh foods in schools. As a consultant first with the California Department of Education, then through her firm, Evans & Brennan, she continues efforts to improve school food with Farm to School, the Garden in Every School program, and professional development for frontline school food-service personnel.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have California extra virgin olive oil on every California student’s lunch plate?” she said. “Our California olive industry is poised to compete internationally. Growing the market right here at home through early introduction to this healthy, delicious oil would be a great place to start.”

Evans has co-authored two books and has written numerous articles to help the public develop a deeper appreciation for local foods. Along with being involved in the healthy food movement, she has been active in local politics. Evans served on the Davis city council from 1982 through 1990 and was mayor of Davis, Calif. from 1984 through 1986. For this and other work, she received the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s highest award in 2012 – the Award of Distinction.

“I really enjoyed hearing how Ann looked at Davis, was able to identify a need and execute her ideas to create a place for local farmers to sell their products,” said Sarah Warren, an Aggie Ambassador and agricultural and environmental education major. “It’s something that Davis is widely known for now and it’s reassuring to know that after college we don’t have to settle for a career that already exists. We can create our own career path and make a difference in the community.”

About Aggie Ambassadors
The Aggie Ambassadors program was established in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 1998 to give undergraduate students an opportunity to take an active role in promoting UC Davis and raising awareness of the opportunities in agricultural and environmental sciences. Aggie Ambassadors work to improve leadership and communication skills by participating in student panels, college workshops, and conducting tours. They also speak to elementary, junior high, high school, and community college students.

Media contacts:

John Stumbos, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (530) 754-4979, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.
Katie Almand, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, (530) 752-4978, knalmand@ucdavis.edu.

UC Davis workshop helps agribusinesses succeed

cydoval — 2013-03-05T17:08:18Z

What’s the best way to manage changing regulations? How can I capitalize on consumer trends? A new agribusiness workshop will help decision-makers with those questions and more.

University of California, Davis
February 6, 2013

Agricultural business leaders face interesting choices in today’s global economy. What’s the best way to manage changing regulations? How can I capitalize on consumer trends?

To help decision-makers sort through those questions and many more, the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is hosting an Agribusiness Workshop, March 11–12 at UC Davis.

“It’s a very valuable opportunity,” said John Harris, owner and operator of Harris Ranch, California’s largest beef producer and one of the nation’s largest family-owned, vertically integrated agribusinesses. “It gets you thinking critically about important issues and lets you interact with peers.”

The workshop is designed for executives and middle managers in enterprises large and small, in California and beyond. As with past UC Davis agribusiness workshops, discussions will feature real-world case studies, analyzing companies’ strategic decisions.

“Those case studies are always interesting,” Harris said from his ranch outside Fresno. “There’s a lot of interaction and you hear different perspectives and approaches. I’ve been going to UC Davis agribusiness seminars for over 25 years and it’s time well spent.”

The workshop will be led by Professor Dan Sumner, the Frank H. Buck, Jr. Endowed Chair in the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center. Case studies will feature executives from Sun-Maid, Prather Ranch, Valley Farm Management Company and Paraiso Winery, Button & Turkovich LLC and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

The keynote speaker will be Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Inc., a leading specialty produce company, and a panel discussion will explore the implications of consumer regulations.You can find a full list of speakers and topics at https://agribusiness.ucdavis.edu/workshop

The cost is $1,500, with meals provided, and access to top leaders in the agribusiness industry. Sponsorships are available.

Along with the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the workshop is presented by the UC Davis Department of Agricultural Resource and Economics and the UC Agricultural Issues Center.

To register and for more information, contact Chris Akins at (530) 752-2120, crakins@ucdavis.edu

Trellis Fund offers grad students experience, adventure

cydoval — 2013-01-17T22:11:28Z

The Horticulture CRSP pairs U.S. graduate students with agricultural projects in developing countries.

University of California, Davis
January 17, 2013

Walking into a fancy hotel with a live turkey in your hand might not be what you expect as part of earning a graduate education in agriculture. But such is the life for graduate students like Graham Savio who are working on agriculture development projects abroad.

The turkey was an end-of-the-day gift to Savio from a farmer he visited in Uganda, where the UC Davis student was working on a Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP) Trellis Fund project. The Trellis Fund pairs U.S. graduate students with an organization in a developing country for an agricultural project on fruits or vegetables.

Over the 2012-2013 school year, 14 graduate students working with Trellis Fund projects will have traveled to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. By the time they have completed their Trellis projects, the students will have shared information with farmers on horticultural crops from mushrooms to bananas, and on topics from pest management to postharvest practices.

In an earlier round of completed Trellis projects, 10 students worked with organizations on projects that reached more than 1,935 farmers.

Seeking new applicants, proposals

The Horticulture CRSP has just released a new call for Trellis Fund project proposals and student applicants, as the program prepares to fund a third round of projects that will begin July 1.

“We feel that Trellis is an excellent opportunity to introduce international development to students who may have not considered that as a career,” said Elizabeth Mitcham, Horticulture CRSP director.

: UC Davis graduate student Carrie Teiken inspects a citrus tree with farmers and volunteers in Uganda.

U.S. graduate students from the University of California, Davis, Cornell University, North Carolina State University and University of Hawaii at Manoa are invited to apply to be part of the Trellis projects. Selected students will be reimbursed for travel expenses to visit their assigned project and receive a small fellowship for 100 hours of additional project support via email.

At the same time, organizations in 18 developing countries—from Bangladesh to Zambia—are invited to submit proposals for up to $2,000 in funding to conduct adaptive research and outreach on problems faced by local farmers in horticultural production, pest management, postharvest practices, nutrition or marketing fruit and vegetable crops. Proposals must outline the expertise that the organization needs from a U.S. graduate student, as well as goals and activities of the project.

Horticulture CRSP will select up to 12 of the most successful project proposals for funding and then pair a student with related expertise to the project. Project proposals and student applications are due by March 4.

UC Davis leads Horticulture CRSP, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Horticulture CRSP builds international partnerships for fruit and vegetable research in developing countries, and its Trellis Fund projects are a small part of the program’s project portfolio, amounting to approximately 2 percent of its overall research budget.

Benefits abound

As a new application process begins, current Trellis projects that started in September 2012 continue on. About half of the graduate students have already traveled for their projects. Reports have been positive.

: UC Davis graduate student A. J. Campbell offers horticulture advice to farmers in Uganda.

“I was wondering how much of an impact I could actually make, but I was pleasantly surprised,” said A.J. Campbell, a UC Davis graduate student in plant pathology, about her time with a Trellis project. She worked in Uganda on an orange-fleshed sweet potato project, but also helped farmers with diagnosing diseases and other problems in a variety of crops.

“Some of the management practices I suggested they had heard before, but some they hadn’t heard of—or hadn’t heard from a reliable source,” she said. “So I think it helped that the information came from someone with an academic background. It was amazing how much the farmers wanted to cooperate with the organization.”

Bryan Sobel, a Cornell graduate student studying horticulture, is working on a master’s thesis about mushrooms and recently returned from working on a Trellis project with a women’s cooperative in Rwanda, where mushrooms are a particularly high-value crop.

“I could tell that the women were very excited to learn to grow mushrooms and that they recognized this as valuable knowledge,” he said. “I think that I have given them the opportunity to make a difference. You can’t go and make a difference in lives in two weeks. This is their project, and now it is up to them. They’ve already had their first harvest of mushrooms.”

Sobel will continue to work with the project in the following months, as they attempt marketing their mushrooms and address nutrition-related objectives.

“I want to pursue a career in international ag development, so I’m very pleased with this program, to be able to travel and do this type of work,” he said.

More information

Media contacts
Brenda Dawson
(530) 752-7992
bldawson@ucdavis.edu