Department of Botany & Plant Sciences

It has been described as a Noah’s Ark for citrus: two of every kind. Spread over 22 acres, UC Riverside’s 113-year-old Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection was founded as a place to gather and study as many citrus specimens as possible...

Ecologist Exequiel Ezcurra Receives AAAS Science Diplomacy Award Exequiel Ezcurra, pictured at the Sea of Cortez, is honored in part for his work in service of environmental protection at the U.S.-Mexico border. | Nancy Packard-Burnett Exequiel Ezcurra, pictured at the...

In 2018, top scientists from the United States and the United Kingdom gathered in Washington, D.C. to talk about how climate change can affect terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, often in interaction with other factors. Janet Franklin , a distinguished...

Research identifies possible on/off switch for plant growth New research from UC Riverside identifies a protein that controls plant growth — good news for an era in which crops can get crushed by climate change. Researchers found the protein, IRK,...

UCR scientists rank among world’s most influential scholars These researchers' papers are the top 1% for citations The world’s most influential scientific researchers in 2019 include 10 current UCR scholars. In its annual list, Clarivate Analytics names the most highly...

UC Riverside helps secure the future of food $3 million program to train tomorrow's plant scientists If you’re eating fruits, nuts, grains, or vegetables in a few years, you’ll likely owe a debt of gratitude to UC Riverside. The university...

Of the major food crops, only rice is currently able to survive flooding. Thanks to new research, that could soon change -- good news for a world in which rains are increasing in both frequency and intensity. The research, published...

UC Riverside scientists have decoded the genome of black-eyed peas, offering hope for feeding Earth’s expanding population, especially as the climate changes. Understanding the genes responsible for the peas’ drought and heat tolerance eventually could help make other crops tougher...

Despite how essential plants are for life on Earth, little is known about how parts of plant cells orchestrate growth and greening. By creating mutant plants, UC Riverside researchers have uncovered a cellular communication pathway sought by scientists for decades....

The University of California, Riverside announced today a $3.5 million donation from Givaudan to support UCR’s Citrus Variety Collection. The gift will help protect one of world’s most extensive citrus diversity collections from the impending threat of citrus greening disease,...