Overview

• UC Santa Barbara study finds that improving farming practices could save as much water as switching crops or fallowing fields in California.
• Research combines remote sensing, big data, and machine learning to estimate water usage by crops in California's Central Valley.
• Study reveals that up to 10% of crop transpiration could be saved if top water users adopt median consumption levels.
• Innovations like mulching, no-till planting, and using drought-tolerant varietals could contribute to water savings.
• California's agriculture, which uses 80% of the state's water, faces challenges from declining groundwater levels and climate change.