Conservation agriculture for vegetables

More commonly used with field crops, conservation agriculture combines three practices that help farmers invest in soil health, specifically: minimal soil disturbance (“no tilling), continuous mulch cover, and rotating diverse crops. These practices can improve soil health and reduce water evaporation from the soil.

Combining these practices with drip irrigation improves water use efficiency, delivering water more directly to the crop roots and decreasing surface evaporation. Our field trials have found that the combination of conservation agriculture and drip irrigation can mitigate the temporary yield reductions which are often seen upon first adopting conservation agriculture practices.

Events launch irrigation project in Guatemala

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Meagan Terry writes about opening activities for this new project focused on drip irrigation and conservation agriculture, including initial training activities and establishing a demonstration garden.

MásRiego project starts in Guatemala

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Expanding irrigation and climate-smart farming to Guatemala

An international team led by UC Davis is working to connect 9,000 rural households in Guatemala with improved water management and climate-smart agriculture strategies, to increase food security and reduce poverty.