Building on over 150 years of trust and collaboration through the UC Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension, UC ANR brings the latest scientific breakthroughs to your dinner table, your home and your community.
Our foundational partner, U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), funds many of these essential research and education projects.
In 2025, more than $8.6 million in Hatch funds were provided for the UC Agricultural Experiment Station and over $7.1 million for UC Cooperative Extension, as well as additional competitive grants.
Vital federal research funds, in combination with state and county support, have made all of this possible:
More abundant and nutritious food
for American families
More prosperous and productive
farms and ranches
Stronger local economies
and healthier communities
A more vibrant and sustainable
future for all of us
Federal support (through both capacity and competitive grants) ensures that UC ANR's leading-edge research and productive partnerships continue to benefit every community across California and beyond.
Here are just some ways that UC ANR academics are making a difference.
Bringing new varieties to the market
Recognized by TIME magazine as one the “Best Inventions” in 2023, the “Luna UCR” avocado variety was co-created by a UC Cooperative Extension specialist and her UC colleague, and tested at UC ANR's Research and Extension Centers (RECs). UC researchers also developed the much-loved and ubiquitous “Tango” mandarin variety through trials at Lindcove REC. There, the federally funded Citrus Clonal Protection Program, led by a UC Cooperative Extension specialist, provides disease-free buds for propagation.
Making farms more productive and profitable
UC Cooperative Extension researchers help California growers produce more food with fewer inputs. A novel soil treatment led to 60% to 70% increases in organic strawberry yield. New grafting techniques made watermelon fields 15% to 25% more productive, turning "one plant into two." And drip irrigation research in the Imperial Valley showed corn fields used 35% less water.
Advancing smarter, more efficient agriculture
Based on years of in-depth research and field studies conducted by UC, a free online tool provides real-time recommendations to growers for the most efficient, effective and sustainable irrigation and fertilization applications possible. This CropManage tool can reduce water and fertilizer use by 20-40% with the same yields.
Fighting pests with fewer pesticides
Navel orangeworm (NOW) is the most damaging pest of nut crops, with significant economic loss to farmers every year. UC Integrated Pest Management research showed that crop loss could be halved (saving $18 per acre) when a new technology is applied to disrupt NOW mating. If adopted by 25% of California’s nut acreage, this technology could save nut growers $10 million annually.
Launching innovations and new technologies
A UC Cooperative Extension specialist and his team at UC Davis are harnessing AI and remote sensing to identify weeds and provide instant analysis of nutrients in crops, putting invaluable information at their fingertips. A new mobile tool, Leaf Monitor, represents a quantum leap in how farmers obtain real-time data and make nutrient management decisions.
Protecting communities from wildfire
California faces increasing risks from catastrophic wildfire. The UC ANR Fire Network is an interdisciplinary team that brings research and education to California’s communities and policymakers on topics such as home hardening and defensible space, prescribed fire and prescribed grazing. Through this coordinated Network, UC can help prevent and respond to future fire emergencies.
Safeguarding birds from avian flu
Thanks to a competitive AFRI grant, UC researchers developed the Waterfowl Alert Network app, which uses data gathered from satellites, weather radar and land sensors to track the movements of wild birds that can carry avian flu. This system helps commercial poultry and dairy operations minimize waterfowl interactions and prevent the virus' spread.
Developing the workforce of the future
The Farm Robotics Challenge was founded on a bold vision: to ignite curiosity, fuel innovation and empower students and growers to tackle real-world challenges with the power of AI, automation and robotics. Funded partially through a U.S. Economic Development Agency grant, this program is nurturing the next generation of changemakers.
Strengthening families through healthy living
Influential studies by UC ANR's Nutrition Policy Institute have helped shape programs that promote healthier food choices, better school meals, access to drinking water, more physical activity and greater overall well-being for all. The result? Thriving, more food-secure communities and a stronger, more resilient nation.
Speak Up for Science,
Stand Up for UC ANRFederal funds support the people and projects who are bringing you the innovations that improve lives, uplift livelihoods and protect our planet.
But those funds are at risk, and we need your voice as communities across California and the U.S. come together to stand up for science and research.
Join us, and share your story on social media with #UCANRGrowsScience.