California Research Locations

• Albany, CA

• Western Regional Research Center:
• Produce Safety and Microbiology Research: The Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit conducts fundamental and applied research to improve the safety of the food supply and animal health. Molecular, biochemical, and analytical research approaches are used in understanding interactions between pathogens and food and in developing (More)
• Healthy Processed Foods Research: The mission of the Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit is to enhance the healthfulness and marketability of foods, with emphasis on specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, by developing new sustainable technologies to add value to these crops and their co-products. (More)
• Crop Improvement and Genetics Research: The Crop Improvement and Genetics Research Unit conducts research to enhance the productivity and value of crops for sustainable agriculture. The Unit relates new knowledge gained from genetics, genomics, molecular and computational biology, and biotechnology to the field behavior, metabolism and (More)
• Bioproducts Research: The mission is to expand the utilization of grain products and crop residues by developing biobased products and biofuels through Improved enzymatic conversion tools, grain separation processes, and processing technologies. Research falls within the context of biorefining, whereby Crops are (More)
• Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research: The Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit conducts research to develop methods to (1) detect toxins (i.e. botulinum neurotoxins, Shiga toxins, and Staphylococcal enterotoxins) in food and environmental samples and (2) to reduce or eliminate toxigenic and pathogenic microorganisms (More)
• Invasive Species and Pollinator Health: The mission of the Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit is to develop and transfer integrated, biologically based approaches for the management of invasive species and improvement of pollinator health. (More)
• Plant Gene Expression Center: The mission of the Plant Gene Expression Center is to provide the knowledge base to breeders and growers that allows for increased plant productivity and improved quality characteristics, and thus enhanced overall plant fitness and yield. We develop this foundation by using cutting-edge genomic and (More)

• Davis, CA

• Crops Pathology and Genetics Research: The mission of the Crops, Pathology, and Genetics Research Unit is to develop information on and solutions for 1) pre- and post-plant diseases of deciduous fruit/nut trees and grapevines and sustainable disease management; 2) climate-driven challenges to grape production and quality including (More)
• Nat'l Clonal Germplasm Rep - Tree Fruit & Nut Crops & Grapes: The mission of the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Tree Fruit, Nut Crops, and Grapes in Davis, California is to collect, preserve, evaluate, and distribute the genetic resources of the crops assigned as part of the U.S. National Plant Genetic Resources Program. (More)
• Western Human Nutrition Research Center:
• Obesity and Metabolism Research: The mission of the Obesity and Metabolism Unit is to conduct research that advances dietary recommendations to promote human health and prevent diet-related chronic diseases, while considering the causes and impact of inter-individual variability in responses to dietary interventions. (More)
• Diet, Microbiome and Immunity Research: The mission of the Immunity and Disease Prevention Research Unit is to evaluate dietary interventions to optimize immune health, with a particular emphasis on effects mediated by the intestinal microbiome. Research focuses on how diet can improve protective immunity, such as response to (More)
• Sustainable Agricultural Water Systems Research: The mission of the Sustainable Agricultural Water Systems Research unit is to increase the efficiency and sustainability of irrigated agriculture in California under changing environmental conditions, with a special focus on vine and tree orchard crops in the Central Valley. This is accomplished by: (More)

• Parlier, CA

• San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center:
• Water Management Research: The mission of the Water Management Research Unit is to develop management strategies that use water efficiently, improve agricultural productivity and sustainability, and protect water quality in irrigated agriculture. (More)
• Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research: The mission of the Crop Diseases, Pests, and Genetics Research Unit is to conduct basic and applied research on grapevine, almonds, stone fruit, and citrus to 1) reduce losses caused by plant pathogens and insect pests, and 2) improve fruit quality, horticultural characteristics and resistance to (More)
• Commodity Protection and Quality Research: The mission of the Commodity Protection and Quality Research Unit is to develop innovative management strategies for insects and plant pathogens of postharvest importance and preserve postharvest quality of horticultural commodities to meet quarantine and phytosanitary needs and to retain or extend (More)

• Riverside, CA

• National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus: The mission of the National Germplasm Repository for Citrus and Dates is to collect, maintain, evaluate, preserve, and distribute germplasm of citrus, dates, and related Aurantioideae genera and Phoenix species. The achievement of this goal involves: 1) acquisition of the widest possible genetic (More)
• Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit: Overcoming water quality and water scarcity constraints on agriculture and human health. (More)

• Salinas, CA

• Crop Improvement and Protection Research: The mission of the Crop Improvement and Protection Research Unit is to improve germplasm of lettuce, spinach and melon, determine basic biology of viral, fungal and bacterial diseases affecting these crops, develop alternatives to methyl bromide as a soil fumigant for control of soilborne pests in (More)

National Programs in California

• Animal Health (103)
• Human Nutrition (107)
• Food Safety (animal and plant products) (108)
• Water Availability and Watershed Management (211)
• Soil and Air (212)
• Grass, Forage, and Rangeland Agroecosystems (215)
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems Research (216)
• Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement (301)
• Plant Diseases (303)
• Crop Protection and Quarantine (304)
• Crop Production (305)
• Product Quality and New Uses (306)

• Appropriated Projects in California

  • Human Pathogens within the Produce Production Continuum; their Detection, Mechanisms for Persistence, and Ecology ( Produce Safety and Microbiology Research )
  • Elucidating the Factors that Determine the Ecology of Human Pathogens in Foods ( Produce Safety and Microbiology Research )
  • Rapid Antemortem Tests for the Early Detection of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies and Other Animal Diseases ( Produce Safety and Microbiology Research )
  • Prevention of Obesity Related Metabolic Diseases by Bioactive Components of Food Processing Waste Byproducts and Mitigation of Food Allergies ( Healthy Processed Foods Research )
  • New Technologies and Methodologies for Increasing Quality, Marketability and Value of Food Products and Byproducts ( Healthy Processed Foods Research )
  • New Sustainable Processes, Preservation Technologies, and Product Concepts for Specialty Crops and Their Co-Products ( Healthy Processed Foods Research )
  • New Genetic and Genomics Resources to Improve Wheat Quality and Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses ( Crop Improvement and Genetics Research )
  • Molecular Resources for Enhanced Crop Biotechnology ( Crop Improvement and Genetics Research )
  • GrainGenes- A Global Data Repository for Small Grains ( Crop Improvement and Genetics Research )
  • Domestic Production of Natural Rubber and Resins ( Bioproducts Research )
  • Bioproducts and Biopolymers from Agricultural Feedstocks ( Bioproducts Research )
  • Zero Waste Agricultural Processing ( Bioproducts Research )
  • Novel Methods for the Mitigation of Human Pathogens and Mycotoxin Contamination of High Value California Specialty Crops ( Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research )
  • Technologies for the Detection of Bacterial and Plant Toxins and Allergens that Impact Food Safety and Food Defense ( Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research )
  • Integrated Weed Management and Restoration Strategies to Protect Water Resources and Aquatic and Wetland Ecosystems of the Far Western U.S. ( Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research )
  • Conduct Longitudinal Studies on Colony Performance and Explore Near-term Effects of Nutritional and Agrochemical Stressors on Honey Bee Health ( Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research )
  • Biological Control of Invasive Pests in Agroecosystems and Wetland, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystems in the Far Western U.S. ( Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research )
  • Enhancing Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stress Through Understanding the Microbiome and Immune Signaling Mechanisms ( Plant Gene Expression Center )
  • Developmental and Environmental Control Mechanisms to Enhance Plant Productivity ( Plant Gene Expression Center )
  • Resilient, Sustainable Production Strategies for Low-Input Environments ( Crops Pathology and Genetics Research )
  • Improved Pest and Disease Control for Enhanced Woody Perennial Tree Crop and Grapevine Production ( Crops Pathology and Genetics Research )
  • Leveraging Rice Mutant Resources for Trait Discovery, Analysis, and Germplasm Enhancement ( Crops Pathology and Genetics Research )
  • Conservation and Utilization of Genetic Resources and Associated Data for Perennial Crops Adapted to Mediterranean and Subtropical Climates ( Nat'l Clonal Germplasm Rep - Tree Fruit & Nut Crops & Grapes )
  • Utilizing Precision Approaches to Refine Dietary Guidance of Americans to Reduce Chronic Disease ( Obesity and Metabolism Research )
  • Effect of Diet on Gut Microbiome, Gastrointestinal Health, and Immune Function ( Diet, Microbiome and Immunity Research )
  • Improved Agroecosystem Efficiency and Sustainability in a Changing Environment ( Sustainable Agricultural Water Systems Research )
  • The USDA Climate Hubs – Supporting Natural and Working Lands Resilience by Co-Developing and Communicating Research-Informed Agro-Climate Practices ( Sustainable Agricultural Water Systems Research )
  • Management of Germplasm and Associated Descriptive Data for Crops Adapted to Arid Lands and Regeneration of Germplasm with Special Climate Needs ( San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center )
  • Improving Soil and Water Productivity and Quality in Irrigated Cropping Systems ( Water Management Research )
  • Developing Diversified and Climate Resilient Forage Systems for the Western U.S. ( Water Management Research )
  • Development of Applied Management Systems for Diseases of Perennial Crops with Emphasis on Vector-Borne Pathogens of Grapevine and Citrus ( Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research )
  • Identifying Vulnerabilities in Vector-host-pathogen Interactions of Grapevine and Citrus Pathosystems to Advance Sustainable Management Strategies ( Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research )
  • Breeding Prunus and Vitis to Improve Disease Resistance, Fruit Quality, and Climate Change Adaptation ( Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research )
  • New Approaches to Enhance Fresh Fruit Quality and Control Postharvest Diseases ( Commodity Protection and Quality Research )
  • Improved Systems-based Approaches that Maintain Commodity Quality and Control of Arthropod Pests Important to U.S. Agricultural Production, Trade and Quarantine ( Commodity Protection and Quality Research )
  • Citrus and Date Genetic Resource Conservation and Utilization ( National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus )
  • Water Management for Crop Production in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions and the Safe Use of Alternative Water Resources ( Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research )
  • Understanding and Improving Salinity Tolerance in Specialty Crops ( Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research )
  • Minor Use Pesticide Testing on Vegetables and Sugar Crops ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )
  • Methyl Bromide Alternative Treatments for Perishable and Stored Products ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )
  • Disease Management and Improved Detection Systems for Control of Pathogens of Vegetables and Strawberries ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )
  • Biological and Biotechnological Approaches for Management of Insect Vectors and Vector-borne Viruses Affecting Vegetable Crops ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )
  • Genetic Improvement of Lettuce, Spinach, Celery, Melon, and Related Species ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )
  • Strategies and Tools to Improve Soil Resources, Pest Management, and Climate Resilience on Organic and Conventional Vegetable and Strawberry Farms ( Crop Improvement and Protection Research )