UC in the Valley
 

For Immediate Release
Feb. 28, 2005
 
Media Contact:
Jeannette Warnert
559) 240-9850
jwarnert@ucop.edu

 


UC's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources allocates nearly $1 million in grant funds

 

Fresno - The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources has funded the first round of its Core Issue Grants supporting 28 research and extension projects with a total of $939,626 for the 2005-06 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2005.
 
The Core Issue Grants program was established to assist ANR research and extension personnel in addressing high priority issues and needs within ANR's mission. Recent state budget cuts and a reduced ANR workforce have made it more difficult to respond to critical needs. As a result, the need to focus ANRs mission and program direction was a major theme heard at ANR listening sessions held at four California locations in early 2004. (At each location, separate sessions were held for external clientele and ANR academic employees and staff.)
 
The core issues that emerged from an ANR statewide program-planning process aligned with what was heard at the listening sessions. Issues identified as high priority for this Core Issue Grants cycle include food safety, invasive species, obesity, pest management, sustainability and viability of agriculture, sustainable use of natural resources, water quality and youth development. Preference was given to proposals with collaborative teams of campus-based, statewide and county-based academics and other ANR cooperators.
 
Following are the titles of the grant proposals that have been funded: 

 

  • Quality analysis of 12-year archived samples of organic and conventional tomatoes from long-term research on the agricultural systems project
  • Developing the California fresh fig industry
  • Developing the potential of lychee and longan as new crops for California
  • Improved nitrogen-use efficiency of small grains in California
  • Off-season blueberry production on coastal California small farms
  • Coexistence of diverse production systems in California agriculture: Development of science-based educational materials and outreach programs
  • Management of Puccinia striiformis and control of wheat stripe rust
  • Validation of phenology models for use in predicting olive fruit fly ( Bactrocera oleae ) activity in California
  • Restoration of weed infested non-crop areas within northeast California
  • Spatial dynamics and management of herbicide resistance in watergrass ( Echinochloa ) species infesting California rice fields
  • Control of anthracnose in strawberry nurseries by conversion to drip irrigation
  • Development and implementation of a comprehensive integrated pest management system for control of arthropod pests of gerbera grown as cut flowers
  • Improving integrated pest management of house fly at commercial dairy operations: Comparison of pest monitoring devices and determination of treatment threshold
  • Nematode interactions with new fusarium wilt races in California cotton
  • Community-based childhood obesity prevention program in the Hmong population of San Joaquin County
  • Eat Smart. Play Hard. California.
  • Increasing nutrition education through parent support
  • School-based nutrition education: Implementation of a farm-to-school program in selected California schools
  • Building upon successful youth in governance activities and strategies to strengthen California's 4-H youth development programs
  • Evaluating California's youth workforce development programs
  • Youth development through veterinary science
  • Effects of stream crossing upgrading on sediment delivery and water quality
  • Improving sustainability of nearshore marine fisheries
  • Management to achieve forest sustainability: An assessment based on the long-term record from Blodgett Forest
  • Sustaining East Bay rangelands: The influence of public grazing lands decision making
  • Efficacy of wetlands to enhance water quality of tailwaters from irrigated pastures
  • Reducing off-site movement of sediment, nutrients and pesticides in agricultural runoff waters
  • Survey of water quality impacts and associated management practices that occur on irrigated pastures

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See the divisionwide programs section on ANR web site at http://ucanr.org for more information on ANR Core Issue Grants.

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