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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Mark Hoddle inspects a tree for avocado weevils in Mexico
Food Blog: Article

The scent that could save California’s avocados

September 7, 2022
UC Riverside scientists are on the hunt for a chemical that disrupts evil weevils' mating and could prevent them from destroying California's supply of avocados. Avocado weevils, small beetles with long snouts, drill through fruit to lay eggs.
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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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