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Evaluating alternative crops as a solution to water stress in the U.S. Southwest

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  • Silber-Coats, Noah
  • Elias, Emile
  • Fernald, Katherine
  • Gagliardi, Mason

Abstract

One possible response to increasing water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest is to shift agriculture to less water-intensive crops. This article provides the first comprehensive review of such crops for the region, identifying more than 70 possibilities. These include efforts to breed drought-tolerant cultivars of widely grown crops, native wild plants considered for domestication, and heritage crops which could be revitalized.

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  • Silber-Coats, Noah & Elias, Emile & Fernald, Katherine & Gagliardi, Mason, 2025. "Evaluating alternative crops as a solution to water stress in the U.S. Southwest," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:312:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425001532
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109439
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