Foundation Plant Services

FPS director Maher Al Rwahnih attended the 16th Australasian Plant Virology Workshop in Perth, Australia last week. Maher presented as an invited speaker, attended three days of presentations and panel discussions, and had the chance to catch up with virology colleagues. Following the workshop, Maher took part in the project meeting for the Wine Australia funded, Agriculture Victoria led project “Best practice sampling and virus detection in Australian grapevine propagation assets”. Thanks go to Monica Kehoe and the project team for the invitation and hospitality. Even considering the jetlag, the trip was an invigorating chance to collaborate and share excitement about advances in diagnostic technology and clean plant programs!

FPS Director Maher Al Rwahnih & Staff Research Associate Rasha Aldamrat were in Qatar last week for a knowledge exchange workshop with the Ministry of Municipality's Agricultural Research Dept! They shared advances in molecular testing & tissue culture therapy while learning date palm tissue culture techniques—a great partnership supporting clean plant activities worldwide. A huge thank you to the hosts for their incredible hospitality, high engagement, and the invaluable knowledge shared—from molecular testing to date palm tissue culture! 📸 Swipe to see photos from the presentations below!

Our international connections and collaborations continue to grow! This week, FPS director Maher Al Rwahnih and Plant Variety Licensing Assistant Director Isaac Rainwater hosted a delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic. The delegation included Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic and Azamat Kadyraliev, Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Head of the Department for the Preparation of Decisions of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. While visiting FPS the delegation learned about the clean plant program and toured the nursery and lab facility. We are excited for this opportunity to collaborate, and look forward to working together in the future.

We are proud to sell UCB#1 pistachio rootstock seed in many different countries, and to no one nursery exclusively. Details offered in English and Arabic - let us know if you have questions.

Do you have experience in tissue culture research and development and you are interested in joining the team at Foundation Plant Services? Our tissue culture lab is growing and we are hiring a Lab Research Supervisor 2. View the job on LinkedIn and submit your application by October 6, 2026, 11:59pm. linkedin.com/jobs/view/44689…

FPS Director Maher Al Rwahnih recently visited Gil Family Estates in Jumilla, Spain! Their UCB#1 seeds—sourced directly from UC Davis FPS—have produced healthy, uniform seedlings. Healthy plants start with healthy seeds! 🌱 📸 Check out the thriving crop & team photos below!

International collaborations at FPS are on the rise! 🌐 Yesterday, we welcomed Alisher Shukurov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He toured our facilities as we explored exciting new opportunities for agricultural partnership and innovation. #AgTech #GlobalAg #Uzbekistan #FPS

🔬 New research in @VirusesMDPI ! FPS researchers developed a high-throughput HiPlex amplicon sequencing method to detect Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 & Red blotch virus simultaneously. 🍇 💡 Funded by PD/GWSS Board. 📖 mdpi.com/1999-4915/18/9/959 #PlantPathology #Viticulture #AgResearch

Excited to welcome Alfredo Diaz Lara and colleagues from @TecdeMonterrey to FPS! 🌿🔬 Their visit marks a step forward in strengthening our international plant pathology collaborations. Together, we’re combining expertise to advance plant health research, tackle global crop challenges, and build stronger academic ties between Mexico and the US. Looking forward to the impactful research and innovation coming out of this work together! 🤝🌱 #PlantPathology #Agriculture #ResearchCollaboration #TecDeMonterrey #PlantHealth #GlobalScience

Great visit today at Foundation Plant Services! We hosted Masamoto Hinata from @lagphase_co_ltd for a facility tour and discussions on clean grape material & future international collaboration. 🍇🇯🇵🇺🇸 #Viticulture #CleanPlant #Grapevines #AgResearch

From Davis, California to Georgia! ✈️🇬🇪 UC Davis Foundation Plant Services Director Maher Al Rwahnih recently visited the Republic of Georgia to support the use of clean plants, and Georgia’s expanding pistachio industry! Key highlights from the trip: 🔹 Strategic Leadership: Met with David Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, to discuss agricultural development. 🔹 Education: Spoke directly with local growers about clean grapevine, fruit and nut tree programs, and California’s pistachio production in a seminar hosted by Valeri Gorgisheli & the Georgian Agrarian Union. 🔹 Field Visits: Visited new and established orchards. 🔹 UCB#1 pistachio rootstock: Highlighted the benefits of UCB#1 rootstock to help establish robust, high-yielding pistachio orchards in the region. We’re proud to see FPS and clean plant materials making an impact across the globe! 🌐🌿

The science of clean plants spans international boundaries! FPS director Maher Al Rwahnih recently attended the University of Jordan's Third Honorary Professors Forum, where he was asked to share his expertise on HTS in the session focusing on Health Biotechnology and the Economy of the Future. You can see the video of the session here: fb.watch/Iu0TLNwE99/

We had a special visit today from Luca and Miriam Fortunato of Fortunato Nurseries in Puglia, Italy. Luca and Miriam spent the day at FPS learning about the virus testing and production methods used by the clean plant program, with an emphasis on almond and UCB#1. Yesterday, the Fortunatos visited Dave Wilson Nursery and Zaiger Genetics – it’s safe to say that after their tours they’ve seen California nursery production from breeding program to grower!

Earlier this week, FPS Director Maher Al Rwahnih presented at the Strawberry Nursery Congress 2026 hosted by Global Plant Genetics & University of California Davis. The event showcasing UC Davis strawberry varieties was attended by nurserymen from around the world. Attendees were provided with a virtual tour of FPS’s clean strawberry production process, and updates on on capabilities for diagnostic testing, quarantine, and research at FPS. We relish every opportunity to meet the people who use the clean plants produced by our program, and thank GPG and UCD Strawberry Breeding Program for the opportunity to participate.

Testing grapevines for diseases requires a lot of resources: time, money, and skilled workers. Because of this, grapevine certification programs only test for the viruses that negatively impact vine health and production and are not always present, or “Economically Relevant Viruses.” More on this, and why the certification programs aren’t testing for crown gall, in the last video in the new NCPN-Grapes supported, Penn State Extension-produced, clean grapevine series: youtu.be/-hDawvJ_eLk

USDA-APHIS has announced the 2026 spending plan for the Plant Protection Act Section 7721 program. This program funds National Clean Plant Network (NCPN) and research activities at Foundation Plant Services. Thanks to strong NCPN funding we will be able to continue clean plant center activities, and through the research projects we we are working to improve diagnostics and encourage HTS adoption for berries, sweetpotato, grapes, fruit trees, and roses. We are grateful for the USDA-APHIS support and the hard work of the FPS team. You can read the whole USDA news release here: aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-a…

What is grapevine certification, and why does it matter? We’re glad you asked – check out this new video from NCPN-Grapes and Penn State Extension: youtu.be/5j0Ero1taCk

We are happy to report the screenhouse build continues to progress. Install of the wall screen has begun, and we are looking forward to moving in and expanding the foundation grapevine collection.

What does it mean when you are shopping for a “clean” grapevine? And why doesn’t “clean” mean free of all pathogens? Check out this video from PennState Extension and learn about testing for clean and certified grapevine material. youtu.be/8gsduRL2SvA