University of Arizona Researchers Test Summer Crop to Improve Desert Farming

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) — Researchers at the University of Arizona are testing a heat-loving summer crop that could help improve soil health and water efficiency for future desert farming.

The crop, called Sesbania, is also known as summer hemp. Researchers at the University of Arizona Yuma Agricultural Center are studying whether the plant can improve growing conditions for crops commonly grown in the region.

Unlike traditional crops, the Sesbania being grown in the research plots will not be harvested for sale.

Instead, researchers will cut the plants down and till them back into the soil.

The goal is to add organic matter, carbon and nitrogen to the soil as the plant material decomposes.

“The intent of the planting is to improve the soil health, adding organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen,” a researcher said.

Researchers say Sesbania has an additional advantage because it can naturally add nitrogen back into the soil.

The study is comparing Sesbania with more traditional summer crops, including Sudan grass, to determine how each affects soil health and water use.

Once the summer portion of the study is complete, researchers plan to plant iceberg lettuce in the test fields.

That will allow the team to measure whether improving the soil during the summer can benefit the following winter crop.

Researchers hope the results will provide farmers with more information about ways to maintain healthier soil and potentially use water more efficiently in the desert.

The research is part of ongoing efforts at the UArizona Yuma Agricultural Center to find practical ways to improve agricultural production in the region.

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