Research conducted by the University of California (UC) is playing a key role in supporting farmers across California’s Central Valley, contributing to the development of new crop varieties and helping growers address challenges related to water use, soil health, 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. She collaborated with UC Cooperative Extension advisors at the UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center and the Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) at UC Riverside to ensure the safety and viability of this new variety. The process took three years but was essential for protecting against diseases such as Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease.
“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,” Lange said.
“There would be no Rosy Red Valencia without CCPP,” she added. “I am grateful that this vital service is funded to allow for the growth of new varieties in California and continues to promote the innovation of the California citrus industry.”
The Rosy Red Valencia orange has now been patented and is available in stores throughout California.
Bowles Farming Company in Merced County works closely with scientists from multiple UC campuses and Cooperative Extension advisors. Cannon Michael, president and CEO of Bowles Farming, highlighted how university research has helped improve their operations over generations. The late Bill Weir, a UC Cooperative Extension advisor, played an important role by developing technology that increased cotton yields for local farmers.
“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,” Michael said.
Bowles Farming continues to host research trials on its land. Current projects include large-scale tests with textile waste composting led by UC Merced professor Rebecca Ryals as part of efforts to meet state climate goals under Senate Bill 1383. Other collaborations involve studying soil microbiology with funding from organizations such as the California Tomato Research Institute.
“We need guidance,” Michael said. “It’s a marriage in my mind between academia and the practical, on-the-ground work; they have to work together.”
Michael emphasized that ongoing research helps keep American crops competitive globally: “Long-term research is part of the backbone of the whole industry. Cutting off research is going to slow progress… All those things get impinged upon when you don’t have a good marriage of scientific research with the daily work.”
Joe Del Bosque farms cantaloupes near Firebaugh and relies on data from UC researchers for irrigation scheduling—a crucial factor during droughts affecting Central Valley agriculture.
“We schedule our irrigations of our crops largely based on data developed by the UC system,” Del Bosque said. “We use that every week. We are programming how much water we use on our crops so we are more efficient with our water, with the goal of better production and profitability.”
Del Bosque described UC Cooperative Extension as valuable for translating theory into practice: “They know the issues at the ground level… That is really crucial to us.” He also called for continued support: “We should be advocating for more budget money for these programs.”
“Farmers can’t do the research on their own,” Del Bosque 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.”
