In California, scientific research is a critical part of the state’s $60 billion farming industry. University of California (UC) researchers and Cooperative Extension advisors are working directly with farmers to improve agricultural practices, develop new crop varieties, and address challenges such as drought, soil health, pests, and disease.
Nancy Lange, a citrus grower in Tulare County, developed the Rosy Red Valencia orange after discovering a mutated limb on one of her trees. With support from UC Cooperative Extension advisors at the UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center and the Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) at UC Riverside, Lange was able to ensure the safety and viability of this new variety. The process took three years before thousands of Rosy Red Valencia trees were planted and harvested across California. Lange stated: “Terrible diseases like HLB [Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease], if allowed to infect citrus nursery trees, could wipe out California citrus. The job CCPP does is critical.” She added: “There would be no Rosy Red Valencia without CCPP,” and expressed gratitude for funding that supports innovation in the citrus industry.
The Rosy Red Valencia has also been part of recent research by the UC Davis Department of Nutrition to study its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Results from this study are expected later this year.
Cannon Michael is president and CEO of Bowles Farming in Merced County. His family’s farm works closely with scientists from multiple UC campuses to optimize operations. Michael highlighted the contributions of Bill Weir, a late UC Cooperative Extension advisor who improved cotton harvesting methods and nitrogen use efficiency on local farms. Michael said: “He really transformed nitrogen use and made some adaptations that not only saved us a lot of money but also helped with compliance and how we better use an input like nitrogen.”
Bowles Farming continues to collaborate with university researchers on projects such as composting textile waste—an effort led by UC Merced professor Rebecca Ryals—to help meet climate goals set under California’s Senate Bill 1383 (https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/). The farm also partners with Kate Scow at UC Davis to analyze soil microbiology for better management practices.
Michael described his relationship with academic partners as essential: “It’s a marriage in my mind between academia and the practical, on-the-ground work; they have to work together.” He emphasized that unbiased scientific research helps guide decisions in farming: “Where do farmers look to find credibility and help with a lot of these things? It should be coming from unbiased folks who are trying to actually look at scientific, peer-reviewed information that we can help make good decisions with.”
Joe Del Bosque operates his farm near Firebaugh growing cantaloupes among other crops. During severe droughts between 2007-2009 and 2012-2016 (https://www.drought.gov/states/california), Del Bosque became known for highlighting water issues facing farmers. He relies heavily on data developed by the UC system for irrigation scheduling: “We schedule our irrigations of our crops largely based on data developed by the UC system,” Del Bosque said. He continued: “UC Cooperative Extension is really valuable to us… They’re taking theory or studies and putting them to practice to test them to see how well they work.”
Del Bosque participates in discussions about agriculture’s future at events hosted by institutions like UC Merced (https://agriculture.ucmerced.edu/). He stressed that independent research conducted by universities is vital because individual farmers cannot undertake it alone: “Farmers can’t do the research on their own,” he said. “It takes someone like UC to do that type of research for us so we can be better at growing crops and also taking care of our people.”
These collaborations between Central Valley farmers and University of California researchers demonstrate how science continues to play an essential role in maintaining productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness in American agriculture.
