Home Grown: Irrigators attempt to conserve water
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - In today's Home Grown, we address how ag workers are attempting to conserve water while keeping plants healthy.
In spite of the recent drought affecting western states along the Colorado River, irrigators have come up with new ways to use less water while still upholding the same quality of crops.
Furrow irrigation is one efficient way for crops to stay hydrated, according to irrigation farm attendant, Jorge Valdez with the University of Arizona Agricultural Center.
"We have sprinklers right behind me which help out with less water consume as far as when you do furrow irrigation, so it's less water and the plants get to grow a little bit better," Valdez explained. "We actually assimilate kind of like, it's would be a rain-type assimilation."
Another type of irrigation, drip system.
There are two ways to execute drip irrigation: one is on top of the soil and the other is about five inches under the soil.
This also helps to conserve water because it is applied directly to the root.
