Almonds Case Study

Almonds form part of the cash crops grown in California. Almonds are used as ingredients in making

pastry and also as a milk supplement. The region is one of the suppliers of the commodity and many other

states, and outside countries depend on its almond yield. However, the growing of this crop is currently

hindered by the prolonged drought that is entering its fourth year. Both the farmers and the residents are

worried of the phenomenon that has led to the shortage of water for the agricultural and domestic

activities. Nevertheless, there is much concern on the quantity of water that is required to grow almonds

(2). The almond plantations need a lot of water, and everyone is concerned of how to reduce such

consumption so as to help

The concerned authorities should advocate for the building of dams to allow for the collection

of rainwater that usually go into waste through runoffs. Such stored resource would be valuable whenever

the rains stop (1). Moreover, the farmers should adopt water retention practices such as the creation of

terraces in the mountainous terrains so as to reduce the rate of surface runoffs. That could also imply that

they keep the soil perforated during the rainy season to allow for the abundant absorption of water into the

ground for future use (2). The water runoffs from other regions should also be channeled into the almonds

plantations to help reduce the demand for the fresh water for irrigation.

Furthermore, the farmers can enrich the soil by the use of compost manure that often improves the soil

moisture retention ability. Such a move will also help reduce the quantity of water for irrigation. Also, it

is possible for the farmers to minimize the use of water for irrigation by identifying the stages when the

plants require a lot of water (2). That would mean that the only irrigate the plantations when the

Overall, the almond farmers in California can significantly contribute towards the conservation of water

during the drought by practicing agriculture in a manner that their crops only require a minimal amount of

water for growth. They can again introduce water and moisture retention techniques in their forms. For

example, they could do mulching, use drip irrigation, using domestic wastewater, and by applying a

limited amount of water in the farms to allow the crops to adapt to the new situation by growing their

roots deep into the soil in search of moisture. There is also the need to trap rainwater and channel the

same to the plantations. Building terraces might also contribute to water retention by minimizing the

runoffs. On the other hand, the agricultural authorities could encourage the farmers to resort to growing

other crops that are either drought resistant or only require a minimal amount of water for irrigation.

Lastly, it might be necessary to reduce the supply of water to the almond farmers so as to force them to

adopt the best agricultural practices that would ensure that they only require a little water for