Ed Curry is passionate about the green, red and yellow chile peppers he grows on his 3,000-acre farm in Pearce, Arizona, about 90 minutes southeast of Tucson. He’s also passionate about saving water. A new technology Arizona State University is analyzing and promoting has combined his love for spice and conservation. … (Farmer Ed) Curry said he cut about 50% of his water usage in the 1990s by going to a drip system. More recently, he estimates he’s cut another 10% through a new soil service. ASU and MyLand, a Phoenix-based soil health company, demonstrated how soil health innovation can drive measurable water conservation at Curry’s farm at an event on May 14. This is achieved by using live, native microalgae to improve soil so that farmers like Curry can achieve greater water efficiency, increased yields and reduced environmental impact. … “We have growers who have documented a 15% decrease in water use on alfalfa, an extra half-day between irrigation cycles on peppers and a 24% improvement in water-use efficiency on tree nuts.”

Other agriculture and water conservation news:

• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.): An ancient Greek grape holds promise for California winegrowers as climate pressures mount
• The Fence Post (Greeley, Colo.): Can you afford not to rotationally graze in a drought?