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September 2021 Newsletter

Graduate Student Spotlight

Matt Francis

I am an international student from New Zealand and have just completed my 2nd year as Ph.D. student in the Horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Group (GGHA). I am a member of the Brummer Lab and am currently working on developing a genomic selection model for use in the UC Davis alfalfa breeding program.
 
My interest in agriculture started when I was very young. I grew up on a small sheep and beef farm in the Central North Island of New Zealand which sparked a passion for farming and eventually led me to pursue a Bachelor of AgriScience at Massey University in Palmerston North. While a student, I spent several summers working as a plant breeding assistant at PGG Wrightson Seeds, a forage seed company, which turned into a full-time job upon the completion of my degree in December 2017. During my time at PGG Wrightson Seeds I was able to work with several experienced breeders on a range of forage crops including perennial and Italian ryegrass, red and white clover, plantain, chicory and fodder beet. After a year in this role, I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in the United States. Having one of the best agricultural programs in the world and faculty members who have been involved in New Zealand agricultural research, UC Davis was an easy choice.
 
My research here at UC Davis is focused on genomic selection in alfalfa, with the goal of increasing its biomass yield. Yield is the most important trait for profitable alfalfa production, yet, somewhat inexplicably, yield improvement in alfalfa has stalled over the last ~25 years. To address this, at the beginning of 2020 we established a field trial at two locations in Davis containing much of the elite germplasm that has been developed by UC Davis in recent years. From this trial we will collect phenotypic measurements for yield and forage quality, as well as DNA, which will be used to develop a genomic prediction model. This model can then be used to reduce the cycle time length of our traditional alfalfa breeding program and increase the rate of genetic gain for a range of traits, most importantly biomass yield.
 
One of the most important aspects of developing a genomic selection model is high-quality phenotypic data. While working alongside members of another lab, an opportunity came up to collect remote sensing data from tower and drone-based cameras. This has really changed the direction of my intended research and, as a result, I have been able to learn a whole new set of skills that include image processing, programming and learning to pilot a drone.
 
Upon the completion of my degree at UC Davis I will return to a breeding position at PGG Wrightson Seeds in New Zealand. Pastoral farming in New Zealand is dominated by a mix of ryegrass and white clover; therefore, much of my time will be spent working on these species. As with my research in the US, a significant focus of the breeding program is on yield improvement and forage quality, therefore I will be able to put the skills learned here to good use. There is also an increasing amount of specialty crops being grown, including alfalfa, so I will have the opportunity to work on a range of different species.
 
My advice to incoming students would be to take full advantage of the courses offered here at UC Davis, particularly international students whose local universities may have no requirement for classes at the graduate level. The faculty here offer knowledge and experience not available anywhere else in the world, and taking their classes provides not only this knowledge but the opportunity to connect with the foremost experts in your designated field! 

Contact Matt at: mwmfrancis@ucdavis.edu

Events

iConnect Series

A new networking program connecting students and industry professionals, in collaboration with Seed Central and the Plant Breeding Center. These opportunities are open to undergraduate and graduate students. For upcoming events, see the flyer
  • September 30
    Zoom session from 12:00 to 1:00 PM
  • November 16
    Zoom session from 4:00 to 5:00 PM
    or 8:00 to 9:00 AM to allow companies’ US and European employees to participate.
To register, email: fkorn@ucdavis.edu
 

 

2021 Plant Breeding Annual Retreat

December 13 - 14, 2021
12 PM - 12 PM
Bodega Bay Marine Lab

Faculty, academic researchers, post-docs, and students are invited to save the date for the 2021 Annual Plant Breeding Retreat, hosted by the UC Davis Plant Breeding Center. This year we are pleased to be planning an in-person meeting at the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory. Campus requirements for vaccinations and symptom surveys will apply, and all attendees will have to meet Campus Ready rules and regulations. These requirements may change over time. We will keep monitoring updates as they come to make sure we have clear communication with attendees and stay in campus compliance.
 
In the event that public health circumstances change, we will adapt our content for a virtual retreat, while still focusing on the elements of networking and fostering collaboration that are the touchstones of this conference.
 
We will post updates as they are available to our website, and provide registration details soon. For questions, email asaichaie@ucdavis.edu

News

NAPB Puts a Focus on Breaking Down Barriers

from Germination
 

The National Association of Plant Breeders 2021 virtual meeting highlighted the need to reach out and form new collaborations to advance plant breeding for the 21st century. Read more...


 

Coastal Grape Growers Can Use Less Water During Drought

from UC Davis News

California grape growers in coastal areas can use less water during times of drought and cut irrigation levels without affecting crop yields or quality, according to a new study out of the University of California, Davis. Read more...



New Pima Cotton Cultivars Show Improved Resistance to Disease

from UC Davis News

Pima cotton is the predominant variety of cotton grown in California. It’s ideal for making premium fabrics for clothing and bed sheets. But Fusarium wilt disease, caused by a soil-borne fungus, can devastate a cotton crop. It’s responsible for crop losses in several production regions in the U.S. and worldwide.

Researchers with the University of California, Davis, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and other groups have been working for nearly 18 years to identify sources of resistance to a specific strain of Fusarium, known as race 4, by field testing plant materials with different genetic backgrounds. They have now developed three Pima cotton cultivars that show improved resistance to the disease, which is a big step toward creating commercial varieties for cotton growers and producers. Read more...

 

Allen Van Deynze receives $650,000 investment from NIFA to breed green chile peppers for mechanical harvesting

from UC Davis Plant Sciences News

Allen Van Deynze, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, has received an investment of $650,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, for a project that will develop commercially competitive green chile peppers, like jalapeños, that are amenable to mechanical harvesting. The funding is part of NIFA’s Plant Breeding for Agricultural Production, with the project specifically falling under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative priority area. Read more...



UC Davis Sets New Record High in Research Funding: $968 Million

from UC Davis Plant Sciences News

he University of California, Davis, set a new record for external research funding, receiving $968 million in awards in the fiscal year 2020-21, up $27 million from the previous record set last year. Read more...

 

Congressional leader travels to Davis, praises hospital food and nutrition program

from UC Davis Plant Sciences News

Two members of the U.S. Congress, Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-California), visited UC Davis this week. They met with several experts to learn about the innovative solutions to health, hunger and poverty that are being developed on both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. Read more...
 

Plant Breeding & Genomics

Did you know that Plant Breeding & Genomics extension (https://plant-breeding-genomics.extension.org/) has literally hundreds of tutorials and webinars with sample datasets and R-code for plant breeding analyses on for example how to run an across location ANOVA in R.  How to breed peanut? How to run a GWAS? How to setup an augmented design, etc.  This is a community of practice built over the last decade with a rich source of information for plant breeders. It is supported by the USDA and the National Association of Plant Breeders.

Plant Breeding Center's Twitter
Plant Breeding Center's Facebook
Plant Breeding Center's Website
Plant Breeding Center Staff:
 
Director:
Charles Brummer
ecbrummer@ucdavis.edu

Associate Director:
Allen Van Deynze
avandeynze@ucdavis.edu
 
 


Program Manager:
Amanda Saichaie
asaichaie@ucdavis.edu
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1106 Extension Center Drive
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA 95616

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