Greener Cattle Initiative Awards 

Understanding Plant Parasitic Nematode Virulence Mechanisms: A Valuable Approach to Expedite Breeding Durable & Broad-spectrum Crop Resistance 

Root-knot nematodes are parasitic worms that infect economically important crops by attacking plant roots, reducing yields or even destroying entire fields. Traditional plant breeding has struggled to produce crop varieties with broad, lasting resistance. Rocha’s research studies the molecular genetics of plant nematode interactions to develop plants that use RNA to target proteins produced by nematodes, preventing the parasite from developing in the root.

Novel Biobased Antiviral Treatments for Bee Pollinator Health 

Honey bees are essential agricultural pollinators that are threatened by a constant flux of interacting stressors. Viral pathogens are strongly linked to managed bee colony losses worldwide. Antiviral treatments are needed to support beekeeping industries and uphold crucial pollination services. Ricigliano’s lab is developing bee antiviral treatments that are cost-effective, scalable and do not rely on synthetic chemicals. The project incorporates biotechnological approaches and natural product-based treatments to improve bee immunity and virus resistance.

Integrating Genomic Prediction with Crop Modeling to Develop Climate-Resilient Cultivars 

Plant breeding and improved agriculture practices have increased crops’ yields and nutrition, but severe weather events threaten crop losses and food insecurity. The current genomic prediction models that plant breeders use to develop crops that can withstand weather stresses struggle to make accurate predictions about future weather conditions. To address this, Fernandes is developing machine-learning genomic prediction models that directly integrate crop growth models, which include plant physiology and environmental interactions. The genomic model and crop growth model will inform each other to generate enhanced yield predictions across current and potential future weather scenarios.

Grant Improves Stress Tolerance in Carrots 

Carrot growers face a variety of both climate and biological threats, including water access and diseases such as Alternaria leaf blight (Alternaria), a disease that can reduce yield by 40-60%. Some cultivated carrots are partially resistant to Alternaria but still require frequent fungicide applications to fully protect crops from this disease. University of California, Davis researchers are tapping into the genetic diversity of wild carrots to breed Alternaria resistance and the ability to grow in water-deficient conditions into cultivated carrots.

Improving Stress Tolerance in Carrots 

Pangenome-based Identification of Genetic Variants Conferring Stress Resistance in Tomato Wild Relatives, and Efficient Transfer to Cultivated Tomato 

Tomatoes are an important economic and nutritional crop, but they are vulnerable to stresses from extreme weather and disease, which puts food security and farmers’ profits at risk. This research is harnessing wild tomatoes’ genetic diversity to improve cultivated tomato varieties. The research is focusing on resistance to drought and early blight disease, two significant challenges facing tomato growers worldwide.

International Lettuce Genomics Consortium 4: Pre-competitive Foundational Research for Lettuce Breeding

Lettuce downy mildew and INSV are the two most destructive foliar diseases of lettuce. The fourth iteration of the International Lettuce Genomics Consortium project will analyze phenotypic and genomic data of lettuce and these two pathogens, including natural variants that confer greater pathogen virulence, to develop resources for enhancing the durability of disease resistance in lettuce. The project will also participate in assembling the lettuce pangenome, a comprehensive dataset that captures genetic variation within wild and cultivated lettuce species and is available for lettuce improvement.