California Ag Network

Tag: UC Davis

  • Be on Lookout for Migratory Monarchs

    They’re here and more are coming!

    Be on the lookout for migratory Monarch butterflies from the Pacific Northwest heading south to their overwintering sites along the California coast.

    It’s been a very good year for Monarchs in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), according to noted entomologist and Monarch researcher David James, an associate professor at Washington State University (WSU), Pullman.

    “The numbers we are seeing in the PNW this summer are consistent with numbers I’ve seen in summers past when the overwintering population was approximately 250,000 as it was last winter,” he wrote in an email Aug. 31.

    “I have been compiling all the PNW monarch reports I have come across this summer–as I have done for many summers in the past. These have been from iNaturalist, Journey North, various Monarch Facebook pages and personal communications I get many people telling me they’ve seen a monarch.  I verify all reports, that is, they must have a photo, or I know the reporter is experienced.”

    “Last summer (2021) I verified approximately 60 Monarch sightings in the PNW. This summer, I have had approximately 500 verified reports. “So, I think we have seen an 8-10 fold increase in Monarch numbers this summer in the PNW.  The majority have been in Oregon, followed by Idaho, Washington and British Columbia. There are also positive reports of good numbers of Monarchs in Utah, Nevada and eastern California.”

    “So the signs are there for a good migration back to California this fall,” James said.  “The big question will be whether the migrants proceed normally to the overwintering sites or whether they do what they did in 2020, establish winter breeding populations in slightly inland places like San Francisco and Los Angeles.  The determining factor will be the temperatures California experiences over the next six weeks.  If average temperatures prevail, then the butterflies will go to the coastal overwintering sites and we will have–I think–spectacular numbers again…at least as high as last year and possibly much higher.”

    “If September/October temperatures are way above average, then most of the population will become reproductive in the gardens and parks of LA and SF and in between. And people will think the population has crashed! (judging from overwintering site numbers).”

    To track migratory Monarchs, citizen scientists in the David James’ research program affix a tag on the discal cell (underside of the hind wing). The tag does not interfere with its flight.

    This year James handed out 2000 tags to citizen scientists in southern Oregon.

    One of his citizen scientists, Steve Anderson of Ashland, Ore., tagged a male Monarch on Aug. 28, 2016 that stopped for nectar in our Vacaville pollinator garden on Sept. 5, 2016.  The tag read  “Monarch@wsu.edu A6093.”  It hung around for five hours.

    “So, assuming it didn’t travel much on the day you saw it, it flew 285 miles in 7 days or about 40.7 miles per day,” James told us back in 2016. “Pretty amazing. So, I doubt he broke his journey for much more than the five hours you watched him–he could be 100 miles further south by now.”

    This year, to date, we have not seen a single Monarch in our pollinator garden. James estimates we will start seeing the first ones within the next few weeks. “Johnson has already had one of his tagged monarchs recovered, admittedly only a few miles away but it was heading south!”

    Butterfly guru Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, spotted four within half an hour in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden on Aug. 26. One was a tattered male.

    What to do if you see a WSU-tagged Monarch? Photograph it, if you can, and contact David James at david_james@wsu.edu or the PNW Facebook page, “Monarch Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest.”

    Meanwhile, Monarch scientists, citizen scientists and Monarch enthusiasts are looking forward to the 2023 International Western Monarch Summit, set Friday through Sunday, Jan. 20-22 at Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo. Registration is now underway. It’s sponsored by Western Monarch Advocates (WMA), which relates its mission is “to serve as an overarching entity to encourage and facilitate communication and interaction of groups and individuals committed to restoring the western monarch butterfly population-regardless of their affiliation or location–in the hope that the shared knowledge will empower each of them to improve and better achieve restoration goals within their own respective affiliation or location.”

    The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the migratory monarch butterfly on its Red List of threatened species on July 21, 2022, classifying it as endangered.

    “In the 1990s, nearly 700 million monarchs made the epic flight each fall from the northern plains of the U.S. and Canada to sites in the oyamel fir forests north of Mexico City, and more than one million monarchs overwintered in forested groves on the California Coast,” according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “Now, researchers and citizen scientists estimate that only a fraction of the population remains, monarchs have declined by more than 80% since the 1990s from central Mexico, and by more than 99% since the 1980s in coastal California.”

  • Celebration of the Life and Legacy of World Renown UC Apiculturist Eric Mussen

    Dr. Mussen, a 38-year California Cooperative Extension apiculturist and an invaluable member of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, died Friday, June 3 at his home in Davis from liver cancer. He was 78.

    Known to all as “Eric,” he joined the UC Davis entomology department in 1976. Although he retired in 2014, he continued his many activities until a few weeks prior to his death. For nearly four decades, he drew praise as “the honey bee guru,” “the pulse of the bee industry” and as “the go-to person” when consumers, scientists, researchers, students, and the news media sought answers about honey bees. Colleagues described him as the “premier authority on bees and pollination in California, and one of the top beekeeping authorities nationwide,” “a treasure to the beekeeping industry,” and “a walking encyclopedia when it comes to honey bees.” Among those featuring him and his expertise: The Lehrer Hour, BBC, Good Morning America, National Public Radio (Science Friday), The New York Times,  Boston Globe,  and The Los Angeles Times.

    “Eric was a giant in the field of apiculture,” said Steve Nadler, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. “The impact of his work stretched far beyond California.” (See tributes at https://bit.ly/3wpnPrc)

    Registration open for Webinar

    Attendance to the UC Davis-sponsored event celebrating the life and legacy of UC Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen, an internationally respected “honey bee guru,” is closed, but UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal will live-stream the event on Zoom. It will be permanently housed on YouTube.

    Registration for the Zoom webinar is underway at https://bit.ly/3dIyAhG. The YouTube account is at https://youtu.be/Kj5NuQ_rBuo. The webinar starts at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Aug. 28.

    As part of the webinar, Dr. Leal has interviewed local, state and national officials.

    The program at the Putah Creek Lodge will include:

    Welcome Address and Introduction of the Chancellor

    Dr. Steve Nadler, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology

    Tribute to Eric Mussen

    UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May

    Remembering Eric Mussen

    Gene Brandi of Los Banos, Emcee
    Brandi, who served with Eric Mussen for 37 of his 39 years on the California State Beekeeping Association’s Board of Directors, currently chairs the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc. He also served as president of American Beekeeping Federation and chaired both the California Apiary Board and National Honey Board.

    Remembrances of My Dad
    Dr. Timothy Mussen, older son of Eric and Helen Mussen

    Remembering Eric Mussen

    Robert “Bob” Curtis, Carmichael, former director of Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California

    A Tribute to Eric Mussen

    Ettamarie Peterson, veteran 4-H beekeeping project leader of the Liberty 4-H Club, Petaluma, a past president of the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association, and a close friend of Mussen’s.

    Open Microphone

    With Emcee Gene Brandi

    Special Musical Performances 

    Frank Fox will emcee the special performances. Bill Cavins will direct Tune Up, a doo wop group.  Eric enjoyed singing with the Davis doo wop groups.

    The live stream event is expected to be draw a large, appreciative crowd. “Eric was an icon in the beekeeping and almond industries and a friend of everyone, no matter if they were a 4-H’er with one hive or a large commercial scale operation with thousands of hives or someone just interested in bees,” said Dr. Leal, a UC Davis distinguished professor of biochemistry, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and a former chair of the Department of Entomology. Leal, who has organized and moderated dozens of webinars dealing with worldwide scientific organizations, received the UC Davis Academic Senate’s 2022 Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award for his series of webinars educating the public about COVID.

    Family and friends suggest memorial contributions be made to the California State 4-H Beekeeping Program, with a note, “Eric Mussen Memorial Fund.” Checks may be be made out to:

    California 4-H Foundation
    Attn: Development Services (Eric Mussen Memorial Fund, California State 4-H Beekeeping Program)
    2801 Second Street
    Davis, CA 95618

    For more information, contact Mary Ciricillo, Director of Development, California 4-H Foundation, UC ANR, at mciricillo@ucanr.edu.

  • Agave: The New Drought-Tolerant California Crop?

    Agriculture in California faces an uncertain future as drought, wildfires and other climate extremes become more commonplace in the West. But a fledgling industry focused on growing and distilling agave plants, which are used to produce tequila and mezcal in Mexico, could be California’s answer to fallowed fields and a lack of water.

    Earlier this year a group of growers, distillers and retailers formed the California Agave Council to foster collaboration and offer a chance to share knowledge among members who previously had no formal network.

    Now, the University of California, Davis, has established the Stuart & Lisa Woolf Fund for Agave Research to focus on outreach and research into the plants and their viability as a low-water crop in the state.

    “The rainfall patterns and growing conditions in California are different from those where tequila is made,” said Ron Runnebaum, an assistant professor of viticulture and enology. “It is exciting to begin to harness the capabilities at UC Davis to determine which agave varieties can be grown commercially in California and what flavors can be captured by distillation to make unique California agave spirits.”

    The fund was created with a $100,000 seed gift from Stuart and Lisa Woolf, who are Central Valley farmers and have a test plot of about 900 agave plants on 1.5 acres. They hope this gift will encourage others to also contribute.

    The gift is focused primarily on optimizing production in California relative to Mexico, where labor costs are lower, and the farmers rely on rain rather than irrigation for water.  Stuart Woolf believes California producers could grow larger plants with higher sugar content.

    “I really believe we could be very competitive with Mexico,” he said.

    The research also offers a chance to better understand the impact of location on the growth of the plant, which can be a source of fiber and alternative sweetener as well as the distilled spirits it can produce.

    “As a drought-tolerant plant, agave holds great potential in water-stressed California,” Woolf said. “It’s a crop that could get by with little to no water during periods of extreme drought.”

    A Crop with Low Water Needs

    Mezcal can be made from any agave variety in Mexico while tequila, Runnebaum said, comes solely from the blue agave plant grown within the geographically defined region of “Tequila.” In California, blue agave plants can weigh 110 pounds or more, and it takes about 11 pounds of agave to produce one bottle of tequila, according to a UC Davis article published last year. The plants in Mexico weigh 50 to 60 pounds on average, Woolf said.

    Agave plants require minimal watering, can serve as firebreaks from wildfires and offer a chance for farmers to plant crops on land that would otherwise have to be fallowed, or abandoned because of a lack of water. It takes roughly six to eight years for the plants to mature.

    “If we enter a severe drought, this is a crop I think we can avoid watering totally,” Woolf said. “For me, this plant is kind of coming around at the right time.”

    Craig Reynolds, the California Agave Council founding director who has about 500 plants growing, says the industry is in “an embryo stage” and organizing can help the crop expand. He runs California Agave Ventures, which grows blue agave and sells starter plants to other growers.

    “It’s really taking off,” he said.

    Coming Together

    About 40 growers and distillers gathered for a symposium in May to talk about the crop, from economics and logistics to site planning and processes. It ended with a tasting and sensory analysis of California products.

    UC Davis hosted the event to bring people together and introduce them to what the university could offer in terms of research, training and outreach, Runnebaum said.

    “I think there’s a lot of promise in this potentially being a drought-tolerant crop in California,” he added. “UC Davis can help organize and research.”

    The Woolfs would like their gift to be used to answer early research questions about growing sites, plant attributes and possible funding agencies, as well as gathering harvest data and producing a database with that information, according to the gift agreement.

    Some key questions to answer: Is frost risk in California too high in relation to Mexico, where the plants thrive? Can California produce a fast-growing, high-sugar, disease-resistant crop?

    In addition to creating best agricultural practices for the crop and doing economic analysis, UC Davis could serve as a training ground, much as it does for brewing and winemaking.

    “UC Davis also has the potential to train future leaders for this industry,” Stuart Woolf said. — By Emily C. Dooley, UC Davis

  • Compost Field Meeting, July 28

    UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis will host a Healthy Soils Program field meeting on compost on Thursday, July 28th from 10:00am to 11:30am. The meeting will take place off of S. Landi Road, on Roberts Island in the Delta. Presentation topics include how to acquire compost, different types of compost, how compost can improve soil health and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and how to apply for cost-share funding. The meeting location is where we are trialing different rates of green waste compost application for potential soil health and alfalfa yield benefits. Preliminary results will be described. Attendance is free, and registration is not required. Continuing education credits will be offered (CCA and N management applications pending). The agenda is pasted below, and a downloadable version is attached. The UC Cooperative Extension programming appreciates your interest, and looks forward to connecting with you later this month!

    Agenda

    10:00am           Welcome and introductions
                            Michelle Leinfelder-Miles, UCCE
    10:05am           What is compost? What kinds of composts are there? How do I order it?
                            Suellen Witham, Westside Spreading
    10:20am           The CDFA Healthy Soils Program – What practices are eligible?
                            Hope Zabronsky, UC ANR/CDFA Climate Smart Agriculture Partnership
    10:35am           Compost for soil improvement and greenhouse gas mitigation
                            Rad Schmidt, UC Davis
    10:50am           Comparing soil health outcomes of forage crop rotation strategies during transition to organic
                            Oren Hoffman, UC Davis
    11:05am           Soil amendment trials in alfalfa – observations and preliminary results
                            Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Rachael Long, UCCE
    11:20am           Discussion, viewing of field plots, evaluation
    Attached Files

    2022-7-28 Meeting Agenda FINAL 

  • CASI Center Honored by Soil and Water Conservation Society

    The Conservation Agriculture Systems Innovation Center has been named the 2022 recipient of the Conservation Innovation Award by the Soil and Water Conservation Society, an international organization based in Ankeny, Iowa.

    “This is a very nice honor… and it has been achieved by, truly, the combined work and efforts of so many,” said Department of Plant Sciences Extension Prof. Jeffrey P. Mitchell, who helped found the center and has been instrumental in its leadership.

    The CASI Center started in 1998. It was formed by farmers, scientists and representatives of public agencies, private industry and environmental groups who aimed to develop knowledge and exchange information about the benefits of reducing tillage in agricultural lands.

    Traditional practices such as tilling and plowing the land in preparation for crops are ingrained in agriculture. However, research has revealed that these practices cause soil erosion, dust and water run-off, and release greenhouse gases. In contrast, farmers and ranchers who have adopted the alternatives to tillage that CASI has been developing and evaluating see improved soil, better water infiltration and storage, less dust and lower costs, Mitchell said.

    In the last 25 years, the no-till and low-till systems being explored by CASI have been widely adopted in much of the United States and in South America. But, in California’s Central Valley, less than 1 percent of production acreage is farmed using conservation tillage. That’s “largely because producers lack information, and successful examples of CT systems are only now being developed here,” CASI reported.

    Now with more than 1,500 active members and affiliates, the CASI Center conducts annual conferences to share research and the results of demonstration projects.

    Mitchell’s leadership of CASI praised

    Mitchell is a statewide Cooperative Extension specialist based in the Fresno area. When others affiliated with the CASI Center learned of the award, they had this to say:

    Madera, Calif., farmer Tom Willey will accept the 2022 Conservation Innovation Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society on the behalf of the CASI Center when the society meets in Denver in August.

    “Huge congratulations, Jeff, for your visionary and literally selfless leadership, always listening and learning, always humble. Thanks for taking us to new frontiers and possibilities of alternative futures. Thanks for showing us other ways to be a leader!!” – Kate Scow, UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources

    “The team is special because everyone is sharing and learning as one. And, because your leadership has enabled us to all be more than the sum of the parts.” – Eric Kueneman, former global director of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization programs in Rome

    “It was a pleasure to support the great work that this group does to change the farming paradigm in California.” – Cary Crum, California Ag Solutions

    “Jeff is a modest person, but his achievements are numerous and span the gamut of extension, research and teaching. He has contributed enormously to our department through his innovative teaching, his inclusive extension work and his dynamic classroom teaching.” – Paul Gepts, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences

    The CASI Center is part of the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The center’s next project is to expand research and demonstration projects, acquire equipment, expand training and develop greater incentives for farmers to adopt conservation tillage in California. — By Trina Kleist, UC Davis

    The CASI Center brings together farmers, ranchers, scientists, educators, public officials and environmentalists.

  • Mating Disruption Research to Combat Spotted Lanternfly Included in CDPR’s $3.75 Million Investment

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today awarded $3.75 million to fund 10 research projects that explore Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools for urban, non-agricultural and agricultural pest management. The 2021-2022 DPR Grants Programs funded by the state budget represent a 617% increase from the previous year’s funding to accelerate the transition to safer, more sustainable pest management.

    “The grant projects we are funding today are critical to developing and expanding innovative practices and biological, non-chemical and physical tools to manage pests in agriculture, urban and other non-agricultural communities,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson. “The research will support the state’s work to accelerate a systemwide transition to safer, more sustainable pest management and better protect human health and the environment.”

    DPR’s Research Grants Program funds projects that advance IPM, an approach that uses the least-toxic, effective method to solve pest problems. In the last decade, DPR has awarded $9,702,819 in research grants.

    Research projects funded for agricultural pest management:

    • Investigating a pesticide-free mating disruption approach using vibrational signals to control the spotted lanternfly, which presents particular risk to grapes, hops, apples and stone fruit, along with maple, poplar, walnut and willow trees. Spotted lanternfly is one of the most damaging invasive insects nationwide and has already caused significant harm to crops and landscapes across 11 states. This research will be led by Dr. Rodrigo Krugner at the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS).

    • Evaluating an IPM approach that will disrupt insect behavior by targeting and interfering with a pest’s biological processes and minimizing possible unintended effects to other organisms. The project will evaluate the use of this tool for controlling diamondback moth and western flower thrips that impact California vegetable crops such as lettuce. This research will be led by Dr. Daniel Hasegawa at USDA ARS.

    • Assessing a biocontrol system for the management of tadpole shrimp in rice. Tadpole shrimp usefully eat some early season weeds but can cause damage to rice later in their lifecycle. To preserve their role in controlling weeds but diminish the shrimp’s later impact on the rice harvest, predator mosquito fish will be introduced mid-season to control the shrimp’s population when necessary. This research will be led by Dr. Ian Grettenberger at UC Davis.

    • Testing two emerging IPM technologies for agricultural use, the automatic release of biocontrol organisms using flying drones, and precision spray application technology, which uses much less pesticide than applying pesticide sprays using current techniques. This research will be led by Dr. Ian Grettenberger at UC Davis.

    • Developing an IPM software decision-making tool for pistachio growers that helps reduce pesticide use by guiding more precise pesticide applications when chemical use is necessary. This IPM tool leverages smart technology to help growers transition from routine preventative spraying to more limited threshold-based chemical use. This research will be led by Dr. Themis Michailides at UC Davis.

    Research projects funded for urban and agriculture pest management:

      • Studying the use of a reduced-risk ”attract-and-kill” approach as an effective alternative to urban and agricultural pesticide spray programs for managing South American palm weevils, a pest that damages date palms in urban and agricultural environments. “Attract-and-kill” strategies use pheromones that attract the target pest to a small amount of pesticide that kills the insect, as opposed to spraying a large quantity of pesticide over an area to control pest populations. This research will be led by Dr. Mark Hoddle at UC Riverside.

      • Studying the impact and potential of using insect growth regulators that target Argentine ants for pest control in urban and agricultural environments. Insect growth regulators are new, safer pest management tools that pose a much lower risk of causing unintended damage to beneficial insects when compared to many traditional insecticides. This research will be led by Dr. Dong-Hwan Choe at UC Riverside.

    Research projects funded for urban and nonagricultural pest management:

    • Testing non-chemical entrapment methods for trapping, monitoring and eliminating bedbugs, a significant public health pest that disproportionately affects low-income Californians. This research will be led by Dr.Catherine Loudon at UC Irvine.

    • Creating a new set of guidelines for effectively identifying and managing biting mites, a common, but poorly understood indoor pest that is often misidentified and incorrectly managed. This research will be led Dr. Andrew Sutherland at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR).

    • Assessing a baiting system for detecting western drywood termites to reduce the number of unnecessary fumigation treatments in California homes, especially in Southern California where termites represent a significant pest problem. This system would indicate when active termite infestations have returned and if preventative treatment is needed, greatly decreasing the amount of high-risk pesticide use in homes. This research will be led by Dr. Dong-Hwan Choe at UC Riverside.

      For more information on past recipients of DPR’s Grants Program, please visit DPR’s Grants Program webpage.

      ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION

      The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to evaluate and register pesticides and monitor and regulate their sale and use across the state.

      DPR’s work includes conducting scientific evaluations of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment prior to and following registration, registering all pesticides prior to sale or use in California, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their combined 400 field inspectors across the state’s 58 counties. DPR invests in innovative research, outreach, and education to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices and conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to pesticide safety information. More information about DPR.

  • UC Davis Ranked Among Best in World, Nation for Veterinary Science, Ag

    Once again, University of California, Davis, leadership in the fields of veterinary science, and agriculture and forestry has been recognized — this time in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject released on April 6.

    Quacquarelli Symonds, considered one of the most influential international university rankings providers, ranked UC Davis first in the nation and second in the world in both subjects.

    Since veterinary science was added to the rankings in 2015, UC Davis has been first in the world five times and is No. 2 for a third time. The campus was No. 1 in agriculture and forestry in the first three years the subject was ranked and has held the No. 2 spot since 2016.

    UC Davis was ranked 43rd in the world and tied for 18th in the nation in the broad category of the life sciences and medicine. Demonstrating its strength across the disciplines, the campus was also ranked globally and nationally in each of the other broad categories: natural sciences, engineering and technology, arts and humanities, and social sciences and management.

    In addition to being top-ranked in veterinary science and agriculture and forestry, the university had top 50 world rankings in six other subjects and top 20 national rankings in eight.

    “I’m proud that UC Davis continues to be recognized for the world-class education it provides as well as for the impact of its research and service,” said Chancellor Gary S. May.

    The rankings consider reputation among academics; reputation among employers; the citations and impact of academic papers from a university; and, for the first time this year, the diversity of a university’s international research network. In all, the 2022 rankings analyzed programs at 1,553 universities across the world.

    In addition to veterinary science, and agriculture and forestry, the top 50 world rankings are:

    • environmental sciences, 20th
    • biological sciences, 42nd
    • development studies, 44th
    • geophysics, 47th
    • geology, 49th
    • economics and econometrics, tied for 50th

    And the top 20 national rankings are:

    • environmental sciences, seventh
    • development studies, 10th
    • civil and structural engineering, tied for 11th
    • anatomy and physiology, tied for 15th
    • geography, tied for 17th
    • history, tied for 18th
    • biological sciences, 19th
    • geophysics, 20th

    The School of Veterinary Medicine has more than 700 students pursuing the doctor of veterinary medicine and other professional and graduate degrees, and offers the nation’s largest veterinarian residency program with more than 30 specialties. More than $82 million in annual research funding is applied to benefit animal, human and planetary health. The school’s hospital treats more than 60,000 patients each year.

    The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has nearly 7,400 undergraduates in about 30 majors and 1,090 graduate students in about 20 graduate groups and programs. The college’s researchers generate more than $140 million in government, corporate and foundation awards. UC Davis is among the most published and cited U.S. research universities in agricultural sciences, animal science and plant sciences, environment and ecology, food science and nutrition, and soil sciences.

  • New Climate-focused Ag Program Aims to Train Students and Farmers

    California is the largest and the most diverse agricultural economy in the nation with revenue exceeding $50 billion — larger than the combined agricultural economies of the other 10 western states.  

    But the state and its residents, especially the disadvantaged, are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.  

    A $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will enable a new project at UC Merced to create an integrated program to develop multi-faceted pathways to climate-smart agriculture solutions. 

    Cooperative Extension Specialist Tapan Pathak, with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is leading the effort. He plans to involve farmers and ranchers, technical service providers and students in a variety of training and educational activities.

    Cooperative Extension Specialist Tapan Pathak

    Pathak plans to conduct needs assessments with local stakeholders, workshops and climate-smart agriculture training, as well as service-learning opportunities for students through the extension program.   

    “Farmers and ranchers, including the socially disadvantaged, are under constant pressure to adjust to uncertain weather and climate events to minimize risks, but often have limited access to technical assistance and fewer resources to adapt to climate change,” Pathak explained. “The critical initial step for developing a climate-smart agriculture program for them is to understand and document their perceptions, experiences and knowledge of climate-change exposures, potential impacts and social vulnerabilities.” 

    The researchers also need to know what tools and resources would assist them in making strategic decisions, and what types of education and outreach activities would help them choose and implement climate-smart agriculture practices. 

    Pathak and his team will conduct needs assessments in three phases: a statewide survey to get information from a diverse group of farmers and ranchers, then focus groups and informal personal interviews. 

    Another group of people the program aims to reach are technical service providers — those front-line farm and ranch counselors who are often asked questions on climate change, weather variability and local implications, but often have limited training on climate change.  

    “There is overwhelming evidence of the importance of integrating climate change into research, education and outreach activities carried out by Cooperative Extension, local, state and federal resource staff-managed programs or operations to improve sustainability, to adapt and to mitigate climate change impacts,” Pathak said. “However, individuals in these groups are content area experts and by and large do not have specific training in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. For example, federal resource staff are required to consider climate change in project planning and aspects of operations but have no to very limited training on climate change, and even less on how to incorporate such information into federal workflow.” 

    Finally, the student experience will form a large component of this effort. As the next generation of a climate-ready workforce, students need education and training in both climate change and agriculture, as well as practical learning opportunities. 

    Pathak plans to provide opportunities for University of California undergraduates as well as California Community College students through a UC Merced Summer Institute on Climate and Agriculture certificate course; a UC Davis credit-based course called Science and Society: Climate Change and Agriculture; and a certificate course for community college students, professionals and non-degree seeking students. The Summer Institute on Climate and Agriculture will pay students from any major to learn about climate and agricultural science, including topics such as climate science fundamentals; interaction of weather and climate with agriculture; the food-energy-water nexus; hands-on weather and climate data analysis for detecting trends; climate change impacts on agriculture; automation and data analytics; climate and water: conflicts and implications; and climate change communication.  

    “In addition, we will organize field trips, such as visiting and learning from local farming operations, county Cooperative Extension offices and USDA-ARS research facilities, irrigation districts and reservoirs, and visiting a National Weather Service office,” he said. “Each of these visits will give students the opportunity to meet, network with and learn from experts, scientists and professionals, all of which could benefit their future careers.”  

    The project is part of an investment in Cooperative Extension and USDA Climate Hubs efforts to bolster climate research and share climate-smart solutions directly with the agricultural communities. The USDA recently invested $9 million in several such projects as part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation’s leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences. 

    “These new NIFA-funded projects will work toward net-zero emissions in agriculture, working lands and communities adapted to climate change, training a diverse workforce that can communicate and incorporate climate considerations into management and climate justice that is appropriate for unique U.S. agronomic conditions,” said NIFA Director Carrie Castille. — By Lorena Anderson, UC Merced

  • Environmentally Friendly ‘Jelly Ice Cube’ Could Transform Cold Storage

    Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a new type of cooling cube that could revolutionize how food is kept cold and shipped fresh without relying on ice or traditional cooling packs. These plastic-free, “jelly ice cubes” do not melt, are compostable and anti-microbial, and prevent cross-contamination.

    “When ice melts, it’s not reusable,” said Gang Sun, a professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. “We thought we could make a so-called solid ice to serve as a cooling medium and be reusable.”

    The cooling cubes contain more than 90% water and other components to retain and stabilize the structure. They are soft to the touch like a gelatin dessert and change color depending on temperature.

    Reusable & Flexible

    These reusable cubes can be designed or cut to any shape and size needed, said Jiahan Zou, a Ph.D. graduate student who has been working on the project the past two years. “You can use it for 13 hours for cooling, collect it, rinse it with water and put it in the freezer to freeze again for the next use,” Sun added.

    A patent for the design and concept was filed in July. The researchers hope to eventually use recycled agriculture waste or byproduct as the coolant material. “We want to make sure this is sustainable,” said Luxin Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology.

    Fish Market Wastewater, Moldy Ice Blocks Spurred Idea

    The researchers began working on the coolant cubes after Wang saw the amount of ice used at fish-processing plants and the cross-contamination that meltwater could spread among products or down the drain.

    “The amount of ice used by these fish-processing sites is massive,” Wang said. “We need to control the pathogens.”

    Sun also lamented mold found in the plastic ice packs used with school lunches for kids and frequently found in shipping packages. Early tests have shown the cubes can withstand up to 22 pounds without losing form. They can be reused a dozen times — just a quick wash with water or diluted bleach — and then disposed of in the trash or with yard waste.

    Alternative to Ice

    The jelly ice cubes offer an alternative to traditional ice and could potentially reduce water consumption and environmental impact. They also offer stable temperatures to reduce food spoilage and could be ideal for meal prep companies, shipping businesses and food producers who need to keep items cold. The application could potentially reduce water consumption in the food supply chain and food waste by controlling microbial contaminations. The research was published in the American Chemical Society’s journal, Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

    The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $485,000 grant for the research, and proof-of-concept work began in January 2020. —By Emily C. Dooley, UC Davis

  • California Receives $1.8 Million Dairy Business Innovation Initiative Award

    The California State University, Fresno Foundation, in partnership with the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), announced the receipt of a $1.8 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service to create a “Pacific Coast Coalition” to support dairy businesses in California, Oregon and Washington in the development, production, marketing and distribution of dairy products. Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives provide direct technical assistance, educational support, and grants to dairy businesses.

    The Pacific Coast Coalition will be led by host California State University, Fresno and will implement programs in partnership with CDIC and collaboration with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, the University of California, Davis, Humboldt State University and Oregon State University. The CDIC, and its steering committee, will serve as an advisory board to the Coalition, bringing a comprehensive business perspective, and assisting with a sub-awards program which will make $300,000 in grant funding available to regional dairy businesses for innovation-related investments annually for three years.

    Through this program, Fresno State and collaborating institutions will deliver hands-on technical assistance to dairy businesses, providing access to laboratory space and equipment to facilitate development and innovation. The Coalition has a strong focus on education as well and will offer learning opportunities on technical topics and related areas of interest such as supply chain innovation, distribution, packaging, marketing, and branding strategies.

    Developing the regional workforce by offering online and bilingual programs will be key to offering opportunities for growth to the region’s diverse population while meeting the dairy industry’s needs. Recognizing the necessity of collaboratively addressing the significant issues facing the Pacific Coast region’s dairy industry, Fresno State will leverage its technical expertise and research capabilities in value-added dairy innovation with a remarkable set of academic and business partners.

    John Talbot, CEO of the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) said, “This collaboration is why the CDIC was created, to support collaboration and attract investment in California’s dairy industry. We’re pleased to join the group of existing coalitions in Wisconsin, Vermont and Tennessee, in to advance our industry nationwide.”

    California leads the nation in milk production and milk is the number one agricultural commodity in the state. California also is a leading exporter of dairy products. The Pacific Coast region is home to hundreds of dairy businesses that are well-positioned to serve the needs of growing markets in Asia and Latin America.

    “The Pacific Coast Coalition will contribute to our competitive advantage in global markets and directly benefit our regional businesses. It will be instrumental to stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship, strengthening the development of our workforce pipeline, and ultimately leading to the increased use of our milk in value-added products,” added Talbot.

    The USDA Dairy Business Innovation (DBI) Initiative supports dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products. DBI Initiatives provide direct technical assistance and grants to dairy businesses, including niche dairy products, such as specialty cheese, or dairy products derived from the milk of a dairy animal, including cow, sheep, and goat milk.

    About the California Dairy Innovation Center
    The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) coordinates pre-competitive research and educational training in collaboration with industry, check-off programs, and research/academic institutions in support of a common set of innovation and productivity goals. The CDIC is guided by a Steering Committee that includes California Dairies Inc., California Dairy Research Foundation, California Milk Advisory Board, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dairy Management Inc., Fresno State University, Hilmar Cheese, Leprino Foods, and UC Davis.