We’re approaching tomato season in California, where 90% of the country’s processed tomatoes — and more than a quarter of the global supply — are grown. It’s a thriving industry, but climate challenges like drought and excessive heat have become perennial threats to each year’s harvest. In a state full of unpredictable weather patterns, how can we protect our beloved tomatoes?
That’s what researchers at UC Santa Cruz are trying to figure out. They’ve partnered with Oregon State University to study dry-farming, an innovative crop-production method that avoids irrigation and focuses on rainfall instead. Coastal California and Oregon’s Willamette Valley already have a history of dry-farming, thanks to a foggy, cool climate that helps enhance the crop’s flavor. In light of climate change, though, tomato farmers are hoping to find new tomato varieties that can better tolerate California’s droughts.
More than 15 different varieties are currently being planted at both universities. Experts like Darryl Wong (executive director of the Center for Agroecology) and Jarmila Pittermann (a UC Santa Cruz professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) will conduct trials on those crops to help identify the varieties whose various traits — including water-use efficiency, intrinsic drought resistance, growth rates, and time-to-flower — make them ideal for dry-farming. The work is being supported with a $414,800 grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and local growers will have a chance to test the best-performing varieties in their own fields next year.
Not ready to pursue dry-farming at the moment? Remember that Fruit Growers Supply specializes in custom-designed irrigation systems that conserve water while still irrigating your crops. Give us a call today to speak with one of our experts!