UC Davis: Winter Grains Could Help Keep Farmland Productive
As California farmers continue adapting to groundwater restrictions, new UC Davis research points to a possible way to keep more farmland productive.
The research contributed to a new Public Policy Institute of California report examining options under the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The release says groundwater reductions could eventually take between 500,000 and 900,000 acres out of production, potentially affecting up to 20 percent of the San Joaquin Valley’s irrigated fields.
After five years of study, UC Davis researchers found that planting winter grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rye and triticale could offer an alternative to leaving fields fallow.
The crops need minimal irrigation to get established and can rely mostly on winter rainfall. Researchers found they use only slightly more water than fallow ground, while helping reduce dust, weeds, pests and heat.
During wetter years, winter grains can also shade the soil, limit evaporation and allow more water to soak toward depleted aquifers.
The report recommends financial incentives and technical guidance to help farmers adopt winter cropping while meeting California’s groundwater restrictions.
