The anticipated loss of vast amounts of prime farmland to urbanization in California's rapidly growing Central Valley could be reduced through more compact development, says a UC Davis professor. Without higher-density urban development, the expected tripling of the valley population by 2040 would convert more than 1 million acres, more than half of which would be the highest quality farmland, according to the findings of Ted Bradshaw, an assistant professor of human and community development. He and research assistant Brian Muller conducted the study for the American Farmland Trust. The nonprofit conservation group recently released its report warning that continued sprawling growth would cost the valley farmland acreage and agricultural sales and create budget deficits for valley cities over the next 45 years. Bradshaw researched options for preserving the state's agricultural capacity. These include using higher density residential growth strategies that could reduce total farmland loss to 475,000 acres, of which only 266,000 are highest quality crop land.