California's agriculture faces challenges from a highly variable climate with temperatures that will increase over the next several decades. Droughts are worsening and the Sierra snowpack, integral to the water supply, is volatile.
However, there are a number of ways to mitigate those changes, as outlined in a new paper coauthored by a group of UC faculty.
Cattle are a fairly regular sight around the UC Merced campus. They graze along the 6,500-acre Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve and the 40-acre Experimental Smart Farm, and an annual student-run spring event is even named "Cowtopia."
But cattle, as effective as they are, can't get everywhere to graze, so this summer the campus has received a visit from their smaller, more nimble colleagues: goats.
Hundreds of goats are grazing large swaths of land on the northeast side of the campus.
Construction has begun on a pilot project to install solar panels above two sections of Central Valley canals. This innovative initiative, which studies significant power and water issues, has already garnered recognition.
Project Nexus, a partnership between the Turlock Irrigation District (TID), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Bay Area development firm Solar AquaGrid, and UC Merced, received the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Award from the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB).
Coming out of high school in San Jose, Josh Ren found himself with limited options for college. He wasn't sold on UC Merced at first, but eventually jumped at the opportunity to attend a University of California campus.
And now?
"I would definitely recommend it, especially to first-generation students," said Ren, 20, who is in his second year at UC Merced. "They offer great financial aid and have more resources compared to other schools."
As the climate continues to change, the risks to farming are only going to increase.
That's the key takeaway from a recent paper published by a team that included UC Merced researchers. The paper dives into what those challenges are, how farmers are working to address them and what should come next.
Editor's note:This is part of a series of profilesabout new UC Merced Bobcats enrolled for the fall 2024 semester.
Jesus Silva graduated from Central Valley High School in Ceres after being named the school's Central California Conference male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. "I had no idea I was going to win," Silva told the Ceres Courier. "My athletic director (Greg Magni) told me. I think it's pretty cool. It's an incentive to do your best in the class and on the field."
Almost 3 billion people worldwide are projected to suffer from severe water scarcity by 2025. Thousands have already been affected in California alone, where more than 1,200 wells ran dry in 2022.
It's never been more important to find ways to make the best use of this precious resource.
When the city of Fresno and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District wanted specifics about the impacts of truck traffic on the health of some of the city's most vulnerable residents, officials turned to UC Merced's Community Labor Center (CLC) and public health Professor Sandie Ha.
Agriculture is in a time of daunting challenge: The world's population is growing and climate change is impacting every area of the food supply chain.
Researchers from across the country who are working to address that challenge met at UC Merced this week. They are part of the Internet of Things for Ag, a National Science Foundation-funded research center uniting the University of Pennsylvania, UC Merced, Purdue University and the University of Florida.
A translucent guide for needle placement to alleviate spinal pain. A collection system for urine to use as fertilizer. A system that attaches to the vents of a commuter train network to reduce the noise air makes when it is expelled. An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to answer questions for website visitors and assist in event planning and organization.
These are some of the winning projects at UC Merced's spring 2024 Innovate to Grow, or I2G, program.
