Food Blog

Man in straw hat picks crops in a field

The Food Blog covers our latest research and extension work to advance and optimize the production and vitality of California's abundant agricultural commodities.

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Zheng Wang crouches in a field of watermelon, talking with growers
Food Blog: Article

Less water, more watermelon: Grafting can help growers yield more

August 19, 2022
By Michael Hsu
As growers across California navigate severe drought, supply-chain challenges and rising inflation, reducing inputs has become an existential necessity. And for watermelon growers, a new twist on a thousands-year-old practice is showing real promise.
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Eduardo Blumwald (right) and Akhilesh Yadav pose in a greenhouse with rice
Food Blog: Article

Growing cereal crops with less fertilizer

August 5, 2022
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops. The discovery could save farmers in the United States billions of dollars annually in fertilizer costs while also benefiting the environment.
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