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2008 Annual Report

Photo: Tom Tomich

Tom Tomich ’79, professor and inaugural holder of the W.K. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable Food Systems at UC Davis, leads the UC system’s interdisciplinary, international hub for research and training in sustainable agriculture. Since it was founded, UC Davis has been a leader in developing new agricultural techniques and technologies that have been adopted worldwide.

Sharing agricultural knowledge

Over the course of 100 years, UC Davis has helped to transform entire industries and economies by providing agriculture education and innovation to students, farmers, scientists and policymakers worldwide.

From the early days, UC Davis agricultural engineers invented or improved devices that increased farm efficiency such as grain dryers, pest-spraying equipment, seed-planting machines and harvest mechanization for crops.

During the first half of the 20th century, UC Davis researchers developed improved irrigation and crop-nutrition techniques that extended the world’s ability to cultivate arid fields and improve yield. Later, UC Davis research informed the design of the 444-mile-long California Aqueduct that today serves 23 million Californians and 755,000 acres of farmland. Not only have these innovations helped increase and stabilize food supplies, they also have increased scientific rigor in agricultural research.

By sharing its vast accumulation of agricultural knowledge and innovation with the world, UC Davis has helped to do such things as modernize Chile’s agricultural industry, revitalize Afghanistan’s agricultural system and improve maternal nutrition in Africa.

Photo illustration of agricultural workers and food

Additional impacts

Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable farming may be trendy now, but give much of the credit to decades of research and education by UC Davis-based programs such as Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems and the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. From fertilizer use and pest control to water conservation and living conditions for farmworkers, UC Davis shares information that preserves our natural resources for future generations, while helping farms and farmers thrive.

Viticulture and enology

California enjoys recognition as one of the world’s premier wine regions, thanks in large part to UC Davis contributions. Early research identified the grape varieties best suited to the state’s microclimates and, later, genetic advances enabled scientists to develop wine grapevines and rootstocks resistant to vineyard pests and diseases. UC Davis research has also identified potential health benefits of drinking wine.

Food safety

Since the turn of the 20th century, UC Davis researchers have addressed food safety issues by developing methods for detecting and preventing microbial, bacterial and chemical contamination. When contamination does come to light, food, plant and veterinary researchers join forces to determine the cause and work to prevent future occurrences. Government and industry leaders also rely on UC Davis researchers to safeguard the nation’s food and water supplies against possible intentional contamination.

The next 100 years: Foods for the world

Researchers have identified genes that make wheat more tolerant to frost and higher in zinc and iron, and are developing rice varieties that can better withstand drought, flooding and saline environments. UC Davis research on numerous other vegetables, fruits and grain crops and livestock products is aimed at improving production, human nutrition and environmental protection throughout the world.