Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1390079
WATER USE Water Wizards: ABC Assembles Elite Minds to Research Water Use Efficiency Tactics At a fundamental level, growing almonds is an exercise in water management. The dryness of the past several months serves as another reminder that water is the lifeblood of our state and of our almond crop. Growers have made tremendous strides in water use efficiency in recent decades. Between the 1990s and 2010s, almond growers reduced the amount of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 33% with improved production practices and adoption of efficient microirrigation technology. 1 How much more "crop per drop" can be achieved? In the past five years alone, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has devoted almost $4 million to irrigation research 2 to support the industry in its work towards achieving the Almond Orchard 2025 Goal of reducing the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20%. 3 This research will help growers find optimal answers to the fundamental water efficiency questions: when to irrigate, how much to irrigate, and where precisely to irrigate. "Growers don't want just another website to visit or scientific paper to read," said Sebastian Saa, associate director of Agricultural Research at ABC. "They want answers." Providing answers to these practical questions requires more than just data – it requires strategy and a collaborative multidisciplinary research approach. The Almond Board recently assembled an impressive team of researchers to unlock the next level of water use efficiency – using modern technology to enable each tree to "tell" the grower exactly how much water it needs. To direct the researchers' focus, Saa created an irrigation strategy and process to review individual research projects for compatibility with a cohesive portfolio. "When you elevate this research to a portfolio view, then everyone can see that the total is greater than just the sum of its parts," he said. 1 University of California, 2010. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012. Almond Board of California, 1990–94, 2000–14. 2 "Irrigation Technology Fundamental in Almond Orchard of the Future" https://bit.ly/3wXsQ81 3 Visit Almonds.com/Goals for more information. 4 For more, visit https://bit.ly/3fPFz72 Almond growers reduced the amount of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 33% with improved production practices and adoption of efficient microirrigation technology. 9