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iSoinic t1_j1ul7o6 wrote

More efficient watering systems are needed in deserts/ arid regions. Many regions in the world are facing a net loss of water amount, becoming more arid and are about to face vegetation zone shifts.

Which general adaptations can you recommend to farmers all over the world, who will be challenged by this? Are there ways to "reform" their way of working, e.g. saving their traditional knowledge and keep going with some adaptations (e.g. more heat resistant crops, different watering techniques), or will there be more severe transformations needed (completely new crops, far less irrigated area, changes of intensity and soil usage)?

How well is this accepted in the agricultural bubbles you have encountered as a scientist? Are those people likely to make those necessary adaptations, or will they wait for too long, ultimately giving other market participants, who are focussing on sustainability in the first place, a better market potential?

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IsraelinSF t1_j1vhsmg wrote

One great method is drip irrigation. These days we can even go further, and say drip fertigation, which is the combination of irrigation and fertilizer. Drip fertigation is spoon-feeding an individual plant and can be used to minimize water loss and fertilizer contamination of the soil. In addition, in many areas the soil can be too harsh to grow plants, and in such cases we can grow the plants in a detached platform. This enables us to control exactly what is given to the plants without contaminating the soil. In general, we need to do three things. The first is agrotechnology, such as drip irrigation and the platform. The second is genetics - using species and cultivars that are efficient in their water and nutrient use. The third is recruiting the knowledge that has been gathered over the past 20 to 40 years in arid regions.

We work closely with farmers in order to maintain economic agriculture which is also sustainable in the desert.

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