Hand-width cracks crisscross Armin’s pistachio orchard in southeastern Iran, damaging irrigation pipes and swallowing precious water as the ground beneath him sinks. … The region has long covered much of the world’s demand for pistachios, but a combination of drought and groundwater extraction for irrigation has made Rafsanjan one of the fastest-sinking areas in Iran. One study found parts of the ground are dropping by up to 37 centimeters (14 inches) annually. And that is impacting production. It’s a similar picture in California, where some pistachio farmers are also seeing their ground sink. … The link between growers in the two countries goes back to the 1960s when US famers started building a pistachio industry. They did it using an Iranian variety.

Other water and agriculture news:

• Comstock’s magazine (Sacramento, Calif.): How Sacramento’s agricultural innovation is helping family farms adapt