When most people think of the University of California (UC), they associate it with higher education and research. However, UC’s impact also extends to the food available in grocery stores across California and beyond. Many everyday foods have origins in UC’s agricultural research and partnerships with growers throughout the state.
One notable example is the development of popular mandarins like Wonderful Halos and Cuties at UC Riverside. Scientists there spent two decades breeding seedless varieties such as the Tango mandarin, which has since become a favorite snack and significantly increased farmers’ revenue. Other mandarins, including Gold Nugget and citrus varieties like Oro Blanco grapefruit, also emerged from UC Riverside’s breeding programs.
Strawberries are another area where UC has played a significant role. The UC Davis Public Strawberry Breeding Program has released over 70 varieties during its seven decades of operation. This program helped make strawberries a year-round crop in California, increasing yields substantially since the 1950s. Today, about 60 percent of strawberries consumed worldwide come from varieties developed at UC Davis.
Avocado lovers may soon find a new favorite in the Luna avocado, developed through a breeding program that began at UCLA and moved to UC Riverside nearly 70 years ago. “It’s the perfect combination for planting. Luna exponentially increases the productivity of Hass, and vice versa,” said Jose Antonio Aguilera, a partner at Jaliscavo, a company growing this variety in Mexico.
Tomato processing also saw major advancements due to UC innovation. In the 1950s, researchers at UC Davis invented both a mechanical tomato harvester and a robust tomato variety suited for machine harvesting. This breakthrough enabled large-scale production for products like ketchup and pizza sauce.
UC Davis professor Harold Olmo contributed significantly to viticulture by developing several grape varieties, including those used for Chardonnay wine—a cornerstone of California’s $88 billion wine industry cultivated on nearly 100,000 acres statewide.
The university’s contributions extend to almonds as well. After almond crop failures in the 1920s, UC research uncovered key pollination techniques that revolutionized almond growing in California—the second-most valuable agricultural product after dairy in the state. Efforts continue at campuses such as UC Merced to improve sustainability practices within almond farming communities.
Pistachios have benefited from recent genetic research at UC Davis that produced an advanced DNA map to guide breeders toward more sustainable crops—important since almost all U.S.-grown pistachios come from California farms.
Similarly, walnut production relies heavily on cultivars developed by the Walnut Breeding Program at UC Davis; these account for nearly all trees sold in nurseries statewide and about 85 percent of local walnut output.
The widely grown asparagus variety known as UC 157 was bred at UC Riverside for high yield and disease resistance.
Roses distributed across U.S. nurseries often originate from virus-tested stock maintained by Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis—the largest public collection of its kind nationally.
Researchers are addressing gluten intolerance by developing wheat strains without alpha-gliadin proteins while maintaining bread quality—an important step for those with celiac disease.
Peaches grown in California often trace their lineage back to varieties created through nearly a century-long partnership between local growers and researchers at various University of California campuses.
UC continues its work on future challenges by introducing technology-driven farming solutions, groundwater replenishment strategies, climate-resilient crop varieties—including flood-resistant rice adopted internationally—and ongoing support through cooperative extension services across California.
