Whitney Brim-DeForest is the UCCE Rice and Wild Rice Advisor for Sutter, Yuba, Placer, and Sacramento counties. She holds a M.S. in International Agricultural Development and a PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. She also holds a dual BA in Biology and Music from Brown University. Whitney has been working in rice for close to 20 years, with her research and extension activities focusing primarily on the identification and management of weeds in rice and wild rice systems. She was also a Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer with the United States Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa, where she served three years. In addition to her Advisor role, she currently teaches part-time at California State University-Chico in the Plant Sciences Department, allowing her to mentor undergraduate and graduate students. 

Languages: 

• English (Primary fluency)
• French (Limited working proficiency)

• Fula (Full professional proficiency)

   

Peer-Reviewed Publications

1. Bishop, K & Brim-DeForest, W. (2008). Kinematics of turning maneuvers in the Southern flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans. Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological genetics and physiology. 309. 225-42. 10.1002/jez.447.
2. Brim-DeForest, WB; Al-Khatib, K; Fischer, AJ (2017). Predicting Yield Losses in Rice Mixed-Weed Species Infestations in California. Weed Science. 65:1, 61-72.
3. Brim-DeForest, WB; Al-Khatib, K, et al. (2017). Weed Community Dynamics and System Productivity in Alternative Irrigation Systems in California Rice. Weed Science. 65:1, 177-188.
4. De Leon, T. B., Karn, E., Al-Khatib, K., Espino, L., Blank, T., Andaya, C. B., Andaya, V. C., & Brim-DeForest, W. (2019). Genetic variation and possible origins of weedy rice found in California. Ecology and Evolution, 9(10), 5835-5848. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5167
5. Karn, E., De Leon, T., Espino, L., Al-Khatib, K., & Brim-DeForest, W. (2020). Effects of competition from California weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) biotypes on a cultivated rice variety. Weed Technology, 1-9. doi:10.1017/wet.2020.35
6. Karn, E; De Leon, T; Espino, L; Al-Khatib, K; Brim-DeForest, W. (2020). Phenotypic Diversity of Weedy Rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) Biotypes Found in California and Implications for Management. Weed Science 68 (5), 485-495
7. Kanter, J., Clark, N, Lundy, ME, Koundinya, V., Leinfelder-Miles, M., Long, R., Light, S. E., Brim-DeForest, W. B., Linquist, B., Putnam, D, Hutmacher, R. B., & Pittelkow, C. M. (2021). Top management challenges and concerns for agronomic crop production in California: Identifying critical issues for extension through needs assessment. Agronomy Journal. 113: 5254– 5270. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20897
8. Galvin, L., Inci, D., Mesgaran, M., Brim-DeForest, W., & Al-Khatib, K. (2022). Flooding depths and burial effects on seedling emergence of five California weedy rice (Oryza sativa spontanea) accessions. Weed Science, 70(2), 213-219.
9. Rosenberg S, Crump A, Brim-DeForest W, Linquist B, Espino L, Al-Khatib K, Leinfelder-Miles MM and Pittelkow CM (2022) Crop Rotations in California Rice Systems: Assessment of Barriers and Opportunities. Front. Agron. 4:806572.
10. Brim-DeForest, W., Al-Khatib, K., & Fischer, A. (2022). Emergence and early growth of multiple herbicide–resistant and -susceptible late watergrass (Echinochloa phyllopogon). Weed Technology, 36(1), 101-109.    
11. Al-Khatib, K; Brim-DeForest, W; Eckert, J; Fischer, A. (Revised 2023) “Weeds” Chapter. In Espino LA, Greer CA, Al-Khatib K, Godfrey LD, Eckert JW, Fischer A, Lawler SP. Revised continuously. UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Rice. UC ANR Publication 3465. Davis, CA.
12. Vulchi, R; Guan, T; Clark, T; Brim-DeForest, W. (2024). Echinochloa spp response to preemergence and postemergence herbicides in California rice (Oryza sativa L.). Frontiers in Agronomy 6, 1349008.
13. Vulchi, R., Guan, T., Clark, T. & Brim-DeForest, W. (2024) Phenotypic characterization of Echinochloa species in California rice. Weed Research, 64(6), 456–466. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12667
14. Kanter, J.; Leinfelder-Miles, M.; Clark, N.; Lundy, M. E; Koundinya, V.; Long, R., Light, S.E.;  Brim-DeForest, W.; Linquist, B.; Putnam, D.; Hutmacher, Robert B.; Pittelkow, C.M. (2024). Setting research and extension priorities for agronomic crops in California. California Agriculture, 78(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/001c.118769
15. Rosenberg, S., Gaudin, A. C., Fenster, T. L., Brim-DeForest, W., Linquist, B., Leinfelder-Miles, M. M., Espino, L., Al-Khatib, K., & Pittelkow, C. M. (2025). Benefits and tradeoffs of diversifying rice-based cropping systems: Impacts on soil health, productivity, and agroecosystem multifunctionality. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 391, 109691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.109691
16. Linquist, B., Al-Khatib, K., Brim-DeForest, W., Espe, M. B., Espino, L., Leinfelder-Miles, M., & Stogsdill, J. R. (2025). Predictors of high rice yields in a high-yielding environment: Lessons from a yield contest. Field Crops Research, 322, 109693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109693