UC Davis Plant Pathology Field

What UC Davis Plant Pathology Field does

The UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology is an academic unit within the University of California, Davis land-grant system, focused on improving plant health in agricultural and natural landscapes to ensure long-term food security. Its operating perimeter spans four interlocking activities: (1) graduate education delivering MS and PhD degrees with designated emphases in Biotechnology, Vector-Borne Diseases, and Host-Microbe Interactions, plus an undergraduate Global Disease Biology major using a One Health framework; (2) research across 11+ named labs (Coaker, Cook, Eskalen, Rizzo, Swett, Trouillas, Emerson, Leveau, Michelmore, Siddique, Lowe-Power, among others) covering virology, bacteriology, mycology, forest pathology, epidemiology, and functional genomics; (3) Cooperative Extension outreach to California producers, growers, and home gardeners via extension specialists and the Master Gardener network; and (4) operation of Foundation Plant Services (FPS), a self-supporting clean stock service unit with 45 employees managing 100+ acres and 900+ grapevine cultivars that anchors California's grapevine registration and certification program.

The department is funded through a mix of UC Davis state appropriations, competitive federal grants (USDA, NSF, DOE), research assistantships and teaching positions that provide graduate students with full fee remission and monthly stipends, and fee-for-service revenue from FPS's distribution of disease-tested plant materials for grapes, strawberries, fruit and nut trees, roses, and sweet potatoes. Go-to-market is community-led: academic recruitment for students, extension outreach for producers and Master Gardeners, international extension through Feed the Future Innovation Labs (Climate Resilient Chickpea, Horticulture Trellis Fund), and professional seminar series shared with the broader plant pathology community. The department also coordinates the Western Plant Diagnostic Network led by Professor Neil McRoberts and operates within the National Plant Diagnostic Network, embedding it in federal and state biosecurity infrastructure alongside CDFA, USDA-ARS, UC IPM, and the Center for Produce Safety. Leadership includes Johan Leveau as Interim Department Chair, Gitta Coaker as Graduate Program Chair and Fiddyment Endowed Chair, and Douglas Cook directing the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Chickpea Innovation Lab.

Name

UC Davis Plant Pathology Field

Legal name

Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis

Website

https://plantpathology.ucdavis.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology is a public university academic unit that delivers MS/PhD graduate education, conducts plant disease research across 11+ labs, and operates the Foundation Plant Services clean stock program and Cooperative Extension outreach for California agricultural producers, growers, home gardeners, and regulatory agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Education

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Tissue, Soil & Water Sampling Coordination (Agronomy-Focused) (AFACABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fruit & Nut Planting Stock (Rootstocks, Nursery Trees, Vines) (AFABAFAF), Tree & Shrub Fertilization & Plant Health Care (PHC) (HSAIAGAG)

Keywords

• Plant pathology research
• Graduate plant science
• Agricultural extension services
• Crop disease diagnostics
• Clean plant certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Funding: Primary funding through UC Davis as a land-grant university institution, supplemented by competitive grants from USDA, NSF, DOE, and other federal/state agencies
2. Research Grants and Fellowships: External funding from NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship Program, and industry partnerships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology is an academic unit that delivers graduate education (MS and PhD) in plant pathology, conducts research on plant diseases through multiple faculty labs, and operates extension/outreach programs that disseminate disease management information to agricultural producers, home gardeners, and regulatory agencies. The department also houses Foundation Plant Services, which produces and distributes disease-tested, true-to-identity planting materials for grapes, strawberries, fruit trees, nut trees, sweet potatoes, and roses.

Product overview

The UC Davis Plant Pathology Department is an academic unit offering educational programs and research services rather than commercial products. The department provides undergraduate education through the Global Disease Biology Major, graduate education including MS and PhD degrees in Plant Pathology, and continuing education through extension programs. The department's programs include coursework in plant pathology topics, research labs focused on various plant disease areas, and extension/outreach services for producers and home gardeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant Pathology Graduate Program (MS/PhD) Graduate program offering MS and PhD degrees in Plant Pathology with designated emphases in Biotechnology, Vector-Borne Diseases, and Host-Microbe Interactions, providing rigorous interdisciplinary training with full fee remission and monthly stipends.
• Global Disease Biology Major Undergraduate major providing education on diseases affecting plants, animals, and humans with a One Health approach, taught through the Department of Plant Pathology.
• Cooperative Extension and Outreach Programs Research-based information and resources on plant disease diagnosis and management for agricultural producers, home gardeners, and Master Gardeners, delivered through Cooperative Extension specialists.
• Foundation Plant Services (FPS) Clean Stock Program Self-supporting service unit providing disease-tested, true-to-identity planting materials for grapes, strawberries, fruit trees, nut trees, sweet potatoes, and roses, including the FPS grape collection (over 900 cultivars) which serves as source material for the California Grapevine Registration and Certification Program.
• Fruit Crop Fungicide Efficacy Trials Efficacy trials evaluating fungicide treatments for fruit crops conducted by the Eskalen Lab, supporting California growers with disease management recommendations.
• Plant Disease Diagnostic Services Diagnostic services and resources for plant disease identification, serving Master Gardeners, producers, regulatory agencies, and home gardeners through faculty and lab-based expertise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Excellent graduate placement rates in academia, industry, extension, governmental agencies, and NGOs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Foundation Plant Services (FPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFPS is a self-supporting service unit within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis. Distribution of disease-tested, true-to-identity plant materials for grapes, strawberries, fruit trees, nut trees, sweet potatoes, and roses. The grape collection serves as source of all material for California Grapevine Certification Program.
• National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network for plant diagnostic laboratory services supporting early detection and diagnosis of invasive plant pests and pathogens.
• Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network coordinated by UC Davis, providing plant diagnostic services across the western United States. Led by Professor Neil McRoberts.
• Center for Produce SafetymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership providing research-based solutions for produce safety challenges from farm to fork.
• CDFA Plant Pest Diagnostics CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Department of Food and Agriculture center providing plant pest diagnostic services supporting state regulatory efforts.
• Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient ChickpeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational agricultural research partnership led by Douglas Cook focused on developing climate-resilient chickpea varieties for food security.
• Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Horticulture: Trellis FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational extension opportunity program providing graduate students with experience in global horticultural research.
• UC IPM (Integrated Pest Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing integrated pest management resources and guidelines for producers and home gardeners.
• National Clean Plant Network (NCPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network established in 2008 providing clean plant material production and distribution. UC Davis FPS has served as an important contact point for outreach efforts.
• UC Master Gardener ProgrammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStatewide program distributing plant pathology education and diagnostic resources through trained Master Gardener volunteers.
• ANR Plant Pathology WorkgroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivision-wide working group coordinating plant pathology research across UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
• USDA-ARS (Agricultural Research Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal research partnership including USDA researchers embedded in the department and collaborative research programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley Department of Plant and Microbial Biology: Closest UC-system peer in plant pathology and microbial biology. Offers graduate training, diagnostics, and extension research with overlapping California agriculture focus, directly comparable in mission, faculty structure, and land-grant research portfolio.
• Ohio State University Department of Plant Pathology: Major U.S. land-grant plant pathology program offering MS/PhD training, extension, and applied disease management research. Comparable in scope and structure to UC Davis, including extension specialist roles.
• Penn State Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology: Large land-grant plant pathology department with extension, graduate programs, and applied research. Direct peer in academic structure, Cooperative Extension footprint, and graduate training model.
• Washington State University Department of Plant Pathology: Land-grant peer with extension specialists, viticulture and tree fruit pathology programs aligned with Pacific Northwest agriculture, and MS/PhD training. Closely comparable in industry-facing extension and clean stock work.
• Michigan State University Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences: Land-grant plant pathology group within a multi-disciplinary department offering graduate training, extension, and applied disease management research across broad crop systems. Comparable in faculty scope and extension mission.
• University of Florida Department of Plant Pathology: Major land-grant plant pathology department with extension specialists, citrus pathology programs, and graduate training; comparable in faculty size, extension mission, and emphasis on specialty crop disease management.
• Cornell University Plant Pathology Section (School of Integrative Plant Science): One of the most prominent U.S. land-grant plant pathology programs, offering MS/PhD degrees, extension programming, and applied disease management research directly comparable to UC Davis in scope and mission.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Plant Pathology: Top-ranked land-grant plant pathology program with strong graduate training and research portfolio across vegetables, field crops, and forest pathology. Direct peer in academic mission, faculty structure, and graduate placement outcomes.
• Texas A&M University Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology: Major land-grant plant pathology program with graduate training, extension specialists, and applied research across diverse cropping systems. Direct peer in academic mission, extension footprint, and graduate placement outcomes.
• UC Riverside Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology: UC-system peer with explicit plant pathology focus, including citrus pathology research highly relevant to California's huanglongbing response. Comparable structure, graduate programs, and Cooperative Extension specialist roles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uc-davis-plant-pathology-field

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UC Davis Plant Pathology Field