Checking In With Chancellor May: Cultivating the Future of Agriculture in California and Across the World

To the UC Davis community:

The fall harvest is underway, and our dedication to education and innovation is at full speed. Wine grapes are one of the crops being harvested, making this a key season for students in viticulture and enology. We are driven to provide them with hands-on experiences so they will thrive in the global wine industry or right here in California, which produces 84% of the nation’s wine.

Our practical research into fall’s fruits and vegetables further allows us to develop solutions to critical issues facing our food systems, especially in the face of climate change. At our Student Farm, the next generation of agricultural leaders is busy harvesting seasonal crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and winter squash. In the process, these students are planting the seeds of their own careers while learning up close about sustainable crop planning, food waste and farm labor.

Back at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, wines made in our Teaching and Research Winery allow us to prepare students as the next generation of winemakers. Meanwhile, our researchers are developing drought-resistant rootstocks, investigating solutions for grapevine diseases and studying the effects of wildfire smoke on wine grapes.

That work on smoke is more critical than ever. A recent story in the San Francisco Chronicle projects a difficult 2025 harvest, with Napa County’s Pickett Fire in August damaging nearly 1,500 acres of wine grapes. In a preliminary survey, 80% of producers in that area reported potential smoke effects. Such wildfires have become the new normal in California, and they’ve had a devastating impact on vineyards. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 2020 wildfires led to $4.2 billion in losses in California’s wine industry. 

A bounty of agricultural research and industry partnership

Our scientists bring expertise and hope, with an increased emphasis on listening to and engaging directly with industry.

Beyond wine grapes, the fall harvest also has implications for other research into agriculture and finding better ways to feed the world. For example, UC Davis engineers are researching robotics technologies to improve efficiency and safety in orchards. One of those is a robotic orchard platform that optimizes the performance of fruit pickers without the need for ladders.

The fall apple harvest is also a focus in our Postharvest Research and Extension Center housed in the Department of Plant Sciences. It provides science-based guidance for the state’s produce industry, such as information on apple “sunburn” that can damage the fruit. The center also provides workshops and free courses related to topics such as product safety and fruit ripening. 

The Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center provides advice on production practices, including harvesting, planting and growing. One of their upcoming classes for growers will focus on prunes, with topics including water, fruit growth and issues related to climate change.

Partnering with industry, especially in the Central Valley’s hub of milk production, has long been a focus of our dairy research. At the Milk Processing Laboratory, scientists use environmentally friendly methods to isolate bioactive compounds from milk and dairy streams, exploring their potential to improve gut health and even support cognitive function. The lab also serves as a training hub for the next generation of dairy professionals, equipping students with the skills to advance innovation and sustainability across the dairy sector.

Further, UC Davis’ Dairy Teaching and Research Facility utilizes more than 100 cows, with their milk studied for herd health, genetics, environmental sustainability and other topics.

Cultivating student success

Our strengths in food science and research are preparing our students for success as they launch careers. Internships abound across UC Davis, such as dairy calf and dairy cow management at the Dairy Teaching and Research Facility.

Students in viticulture and enology also have unprecedented opportunities. Cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc grapes from Oakville Station, our 40-acre research facility in the Napa Valley, are the foundation for wines sold by Hilgard631 on the UC Davis campus. Proceeds from these wine sales will go toward student scholarships. Another benefit is that the process allows students to get hands-on experience making commercial wine, from production to designing the bottles and legal labels for sale.

It took over a decade of planning and the passage of two state laws to make Hilgard631 a reality and expand this opportunity to students.

UC Davis student research was also behind the startup Scout, which utilizes artificial intelligence and computer vision to rapidly forecast crop yields. The technology was developed by undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs in a lab overseen by Mason Earles, an associate professor with dual appointments in the Department of Viticulture and Enology and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

The Student Farm is also a crucial space for launching careers in agriculture. The experiences from working in the fields help students gain the collaborative skills needed in the complex agricultural industry. They learn more about the environments where they best thrive and see firsthand how solutions to complex issues require holistic work across the food system. The Student Farm is ultimately a place of community, where lifetime friendships are formed in addition to the valuable career skills students gain there.

A season of opportunity

Being ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in the world for agricultural sciences and forestry is a reflection of UC Davis’ commitment to helping feed communities around the world. Being at the cutting edge of food and agricultural sciences is who we are, and who we will always be. That’s also true of the University of California system, which has a deep history of supporting agriculture.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is doing well as the fall quarter is underway. This is always one of the best times on campus, and activities are everywhere. I encourage you to connect with one another at an event like a football game or a show at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Speaking of fall harvest and grapes, the Peter J. Shields Library is showcasing an extensive photo exhibit titled “In Camps, Under Trees and Evicted: Farmworkers Living Close to the Line in Northern California.” The exhibit, which will be up through March 2026, pays homage to the hardworking people and laborers who ensure that the food produced in our fields makes it to our tables.

Finally, if you’ve looked around online in the past day, you may have noticed a number of university websites and social media accounts speaking with one voice to bring extra attention to the impact of federally funded research. I encourage you to stay updated with our From Labs to Lives web series that shows the human impact of our UC Davis research. We must continue to raise our voices and address why federal funding is crucial for making discoveries.

Here’s to harvesting another year of transformative discoveries and providing a world-class education that allows our students to flourish in all they do.

Sincerely,

Gary S. May
Chancellor