The University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources has established a $1 million endowed chair for California grown rice.
The position, one of 100 created by UC President Janet Napolitano’s matching-fund program in 2014, will provide a UC Cooperative Extension scientist a dedicated source of research funds.
Half the funds came from Napolitano, the other half was donated by the California Rice Research Board. Tu Tran, UC ANR associate vice president of business operations, announced the new chair at the recent Rice Field Day in Biggs, Calif.
The new presidential chair will be awarded by UC ANR to a Cooperative Extension specialist or farm adviser currently working in rice research or will be used to recruit a candidate to Extension. The chair appointment will be for five years, after which it will be reviewed and renewed or offered to another specialist or adviser working on California rice.
The Rice Experiment Station in Biggs is operated by the grower-owned and funded California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation. The foundation works closely with UC Cooperative Extension, UC Davis and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
UC Cooperative Extension and UC Davis scientists focus on rice production research, such as weed, disease and insect pest management; nutrient management; and water conservation. They also conduct statewide yield tests, testing varieties and experimental rice lines in growers’ fields — all with funding from the California Rice Research Board.