Food 2025 blog

UC researchers discovered a gene that may yield hot-weather lettuce

A team of researchers, led by a University of California, Davis, plant scientist, has identified a lettuce gene and related enzyme that put the brakes on germination during hot weather -- a discovery that could lead to lettuces that can sprout year-round, even at high temperatures.

The study also included researchers from Arcadia Biosciences and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, India.

The finding is particularly important to the nearly $2 billion lettuce industries of California and Arizona, which together produce more than 90 percent of the nation's lettuce.

"Discovery of the genes will enable plant breeders to develop lettuce varieties that can better germinate and grow to maturity under high temperatures," said the study's lead author Kent Bradford, a professor of plant sciences and director of the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center.

"And because this mechanism that inhibits hot-weather germination in lettuce seeds appears to be quite common in many plant species, we suspect that other crops also could be modified to improve their germination," he said. "This could be increasingly important as global temperatures are predicted to rise."

With California temperatures predicted to rise by 2.7F by 2050, this study could prove to be extremely vital to California agriculture.

Read more on the UC ANR news blog.

What is California's role in sustainably feeding the world by 2025?

California is the nation’s top agricultural state. We are the #1 producer of almonds, dairy, kiwi, grapes and grape products, vegetables, cut flowers, greenhouse and nursery products, dates, walnuts, olives, pistachios…and the list goes on. In fact, we produce 100% of the nation’s almond crop, and 75% of the world’s almond crop.

In 2011, California farm revenue was $43.5 billion. We produced more than 400 crops with 800,000 workers on 81,500 farms.

The University of California plays a big role in supporting California agriculture. UC is the largest public holder of agriculture and biotech patents registered in the United States—UC holds 627 active plant licenses. UC plant varieties account for 90% of California’s wheat, 65% of California strawberries, and 40% of strawberries worldwide.

Our UC researchers are working to meet the challenges of global food production by coming up with new innovations in animal care and breeding, plant varieties, irrigation and nutrient delivery, and pest and disease management practices.

Despite California’s abundant food production, 16.2% of California households are food insecure. And California crops are being threatened by climate change. California temperatures are projected to increase by 2.7° F by 2050—that’s 3 times the rate of the last century. California lettuce and spinach ($1.6 billion in value) is being threatened by increasing temperatures.

Our world is changing. What does that mean for California agriculture? What does that mean for global food systems? What does that mean for us, our families, our neighbors? What do we need to do to keep up?

Let us know what you think in the comments below. 

A world without California citrus?

If you've been to your local California farmer's market lately, you've seen the rows and rows of fresh, delicious citrus. The blood oranges are just waiting to be made into juice, and the clementines are practically peeling themselves. You leave, with citrus peels under your finger nails and your hands sticky and smelling of sweet sweet oranges.

Now imagine going to your local farmer's market, and seeing no locally-grown citrus. No oranges, no lemons, no grapefruits, no mandarins.

According to the Citrus Research Board, California's citrus industry generates approximately $1.8 billion in economic activity through commercial growing operations. 

But that could all change if Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, gets a hold of our trees. The pest, and the disease it transmits, has the potential to completely decimate California citrus crops.

So far the disease-transmitting pest, asian citrus psyllid, has been found as far north as Tulare County. In 2012, the disease was found in Los Angeles County. In Florida, the disease has tallied more than 6,600 lost jobs, $1.3 billion in lost revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity according to CDFA.

The average American eats 12.5 pounds of citrus each year. California's citrus industry ranks 2nd in the U.S.

How do we prevent HLB from claiming our citrus trees? What would California look like without citrus? What would world agriculture look like without California citrus? Comment and let us know your thoughts.

Ted Batkin, president of the California Citrus Research Board and Global Food Systems Forum panelist, describes the pest and it's potential affects in the video below.

Panelist Howard-Yana Shapiro -- Cacao: An Uncommon Collaboration

The view that nature is so robust that it will respond to any attack is not true any longer… are we willing to take a hard look at our practices and say we are really sustainable? Are we willing to develop the logic to get there? Are we willing to secure the commitments to make it happen?

 

Howard-Yana Shapiro, Global Food Systems Forum panelist, is the Global Director of Plant Science and External Research, Mars Incorporated. Howard has guided Mars toward the goal of 100% sustainably sourced cacao production since joining up with the company in the late 1990s. He is also a Senior Fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.”

Michael Specter: The danger of science denial

Vaccine-autism claims, "Frankenfood" bans, the herbal cure craze: All point to the public's growing fear (and, often, outright denial) of science and reason, says Michael Specter. He warns the trend spells disaster for human progress.

Michael Specter, moderator of the Global Food Systems Forum, has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998. His most recent book, “Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives,” was published on October 29, 2009. Specter writes often about science, technology, and public health.

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