ANR Employees
University of California
ANR Employees

Program Team/Workgroup Directory/Information


Return to Program Team/Workgroup Directory/Information

Return to Workgroup Directory for Program Team Agronomic Crops

Workgroup Information

Bioenergy

Summary The production and use of biofuel crops and biomass for energy will help Californians reduce their consumption of fossil carbon sources for energy and reduce the state’s contribution to global warming. A state-based crop and biomass based industry will develop successfully if crops and other biomass sources can be produced efficiently, profitably and sustainably. We believe it is vital for ANR and the University of California to be centrally involved with the rapidly developing biofuel industry in California. Through a new ANR Bioenergy Work Group (BEWG), we will link county based CE advisors, campus-based specialists, and campus-based researchers at the Davis, Berkeley and other UC campuses with farmers, developing bioenergy industries and policy makers in California. The BEWG will attempt to contribute in a significant way to the successful creation of a new bioenergy sector as part of California’s agricultural portfolio. The BEWG will assess the needs of industry groups for UC involvement and plan, carry out or otherwise help with targeted research to assist biofuel development in California. The BEWG will do outreach, create useful newsletters and publications, create in-service training opportunities and short courses for ANR personnel and others, and seek additional extramural funding to advance the work group’s objectives. By working with farmers and bioenergy industries to help create bioenergy systems through applied research, outreach and facilitation, the BEWG will insure that the University’s exceptional research and outreach capacities are used effectively to advance this important new area of public interest. Because of the urgency and speed with which state and campus-based efforts are developing, we believe it is important for ANR to quickly develop a leadership position and provide service in this important area of agriculture.
 
Workgroup Chair Information
Name Stephen Kaffka (Chair)
Phone (530) 752-8108
E-Mail srkaffka@ucdavis.edu
Unit: Department of Plant Sciences
Location: Department of Plant Sciences
One Shields Avenue
1210 Plant and Environmental Sciences Bldg
Davis, 95616-8780
 
Membership List
 
AES Scientist
Dubcovsky, Jorge Department of Plant Sciences
  Professor Wheat breeding and genetics
Dvorak, Jan Department of Plant Sciences
  Professor V Evolution of plant genomes and chromosomes; evolution of wheat and related species, construction of linkage maps based on molecular markers in wheat and related species in the tribe Triticeae; mechanisms of the action of the Ph1 gene of wheat on crossing over between homoeologous chromosomes; molecular mechanisms of salt stress tolerance in wheat and its improvement.
Horwath, William Soils & Biogeochemistry Program
  AES Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry Soil Biogeochemist Stable isotope studies, soil organic matter dynamics, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture, water quality, plant-microbe interactions, soil microbial biomass, denitrification, residue decomposition, root turnover.
Jenkins, Bryan Biological & Agricultural Engineering
  Professor Energy systems; biomass, bioenergy, biofuels, thermochemical conversion, combustion and gasification; environmental impacts; power systems; properties of fuels; systems analysis, modeling, and optimization.
Labavitch, John Department of Plant Sciences
  Professor   Pomologist-AES Developmental and regulatory biology postharvest biology of fruits - emphasis on cell wall polysaccharide metabolism and biochemistry of plant-pathogen and plant-insect interactions
Six, Johan Department of Plant Sciences
  Assistant Professor
Blumwald, Eduardo Department of Plant Sciences
  Professor - Plant Biology-AES Plant response(s) to abiotic stress, biological nitrogen fixation, Source/sink interactions
van Kessel, Chris Department of Plant Sciences
  Emeritus Professor, Department of Plant Sciences Agronomy, soil fertility, nutrient cycling, cropping systems, international agriculture.
CE Advisor
Brittan, Kent Sacramento County
  Emeritus Farm Advisor for Field Crops Small grains, corn and biofuel crops
Canevari, Mick San Joaquin County
  Farm Advisor, Emeritus Weed Control
Carlson, Harry Intermountain Research & Extension Center
  Center Director; Farm Advisor Farm Advisor - Field and Vegetable Crops for Modoc/Siskyou Counties; Director Intermountain REC
Frate, Carol Tulare County
  Farm Advisor, Emeritus Alfalfa, dry beans, sugarbeets, corn, plant pathology
Guerrero, Juan Imperial County
  Area Livestock Farm Advisor, Emeritus Livestock; alfalfa and irrigated pasture; feedlot cattle; waste management; biosolids
Hembree, Kurt Fresno County
  Weed Management Farm Advisor Weed management strategies in crop and non-crop settings
Marcum, Daniel Shasta-Lassen Office
  Farm Advisor - Emeritus Irrigation, plant nutrition, salinity, entomology, sustainable agriculture, agronomy, vegetable crops, engineering, plant pathology, integrated pest management, systems management, economics, weed control, nematology, strawberry nursery production, garlic, wild rice, alfalfa, timothy, sugarbeet, pasture, range, biodiversity, peppermint, viticulture
Mccullough-Sanden, Blake Kern County
  Farm Advisor Emeritus (Retired) Irrigation, soil, water, agronomy, blackeyes, sugarbeets, safflower, alfalfa
Mueller, Shannon Madera County
  Emeritus Agronomy Farm Advisor Agronomy, alfalfa seed, hay production, seed certification, forage crops, pollination and honeybee management, oil seed crop production, and dry beans.
Munier, Douglas
  Retired Farm Advisor Agronomy-cotton, corn, wheat, clover seed, safflower, sunflower, and dry beans
Munk, Daniel Fresno County
  Farm Advisor Irrigation, crop nutrient management and cotton production systems
Orloff, Steve Siskiyou County
  County Director/Farm Advisor Conducts research & educational program with alfalfa, small grains, irrigated pasture, and noncrop weed control with emphasis on variety adaptation, pest management, irrigation, and general production practices
Schmierer, Jerry Colusa County
  Farm Advisor Emeritus Plant science, alfalfa, wheat,dry beans, corn, barley, and oil seed crops with speciality in precision agriculture and weed management.
CE Specialist
Goyal, Sham Department of Plant Sciences
  AES   Specialist Regulation of nitrogen uptake, metabolism, and usage efficiency, physiology of abiotic stress (e.g., salinity) and tolerance, site-specific tillage for reduced energy input, and research and analytical techniques and instrumentation.
Hutmacher, Robert Department of Plant Sciences
  Cooperative Extension Specialist / AES Agronomist (retired) cotton production issues, irrigation mgmt, drip irrigation, sorghum, industrial hemp, water stress, nutrient mgmt
Jackson, Lee Department of Plant Sciences
  Emeritus CE Specialist - Small Grains Small Grains; Agronomy; Growth, development and plant breeding of small grains; small grain diseases; pathogen variability host resistance; genetics of host/parasite interaction; integrated pest management;integrated crop management; agricultural systems.
Kaffka, Stephen Department of Plant Sciences
  CE Specialist. Production and resource use efficiency of sugar, oilseed crops and other agronomic crops; Cropping systems and agroecology; biomass, bioenegy, bioproducts and related public policy issues; irrigation, salinity and drainage
Linquist, Bruce Department of Plant Sciences
  UCCE Rice Specialist Research on rice based systems, including nutrient and carbon cycling, GHG emissions, water use, water quality, varietal adaptation, heavy metals, and modeling.
Mitchell, Jeffrey Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center
  CE Cropping Systems Specialist Vegetable cropping systems, irrigation management, soil quality, organic soil amendments, extension models, postharvest physiology
Putnam, Daniel Department of Plant Sciences
  Cooperative Extension Specialist, Agronomist in the AES Alfalfa and forage crops systems, forage quality and utilization, alternative field crops, cellulosic energy crops (switchgrass, miscanthus) crop ecology.
Non-UC
Shrestha, Anil Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Statewide Program
  IPM Weed Ecologist Development and implementation of IPM strategies and tactics for vegetation management. Primary crops corn, cotton, tree fruit, grape, tomato.
Williams, Robert
  Development Engineer
Membership Totals
Number of Members30
ANR Members28
Non-ANR2
Info Only0
Webmaster Email: lforbes@ucanr.edu