USDA

A wind-driven brush fire in Simi Valley could push east sending flames and smoke plumes into parts of Los Angeles, less than 18 months after catastrophic wildfires hit the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. 

The lessons from those twin 2025 fires are still being learned as researchers from University of California, Davis, other institutions in the state and the country are working to understand the effect on air quality, human health and the environment. 

For two and a half centuries, the United States has been founded upon our capacity to feed communities, both at home and throughout the world. Through the forethought of federal legislators and Abraham Lincoln, we now have a complex and interconnected cooperative system for growing, cultivating, harvesting, processing and delivering the food we all rely on. 

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 this summer applying a calcium spray to grapes to see if the treatment can protect the fruit from smoke exposure.

Wheat is a major source of calories, carbohydrates and protein worldwide and its distinctive gluten proteins are what gives bread and pasta dough texture and elasticity. But it also can cause autoimmune reactions such as celiac disease, which is growing in prevalence worldwide.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have deleted a cluster of genes in wheat that generates gluten proteins that can trigger immune reactions without harming the breadmaking quality of this globally nutritious crop.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, broke ground this week on its new Agricultural Research and Technology Center – a facility located in Davis that will feature specialized labs, greenhouses and research space to tackle key issues in agriculture. In this new center, UC Davis and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will continue its long-standing collaboration to advance projects in sustainable agriculture, invasive species, water management, soil health and more.

Sustainable orchards, regional pest control and organic agriculture education will advance with three grants awarded to faculty in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. The $5 million in funding for the projects comes through the United States Department of Agriculture.

We’ve all heard the phrase “You are what you eat,” but can this actually be measured?

Researchers at University of California, Davis, have obtained a $5 million grant to study diet and identify food biomarkers to see how what we eat affects overall health or risk of disease.