If drought conditions are interfering with your crop yield, it's time to find new ways to overcome the lack of water. During drought conditions, you have to conserve so much water that your crops can suffer. However, with careful planning, you can provide your crops with much-needed moisture without wasting water. Here are four steps you should take to provide your crops with the moisture they need during a drought.
Utilize Captured Water Supplies
If you're tired of dealing with drought conditions, you need to utilize captured water supplies. One way to do that is by capturing and storing rainfall. Capturing rainfall in catch basins will allow you to use the water in areas that need it the most. Another way to utilize captured water is to create man-made ponds on your property. Man-made ponds allow you to irrigate your crops using water from your own source. As an added benefit, man-made ponds provide you the space you need to capture rain when it does fall.
Plant Drought-Resistant Crops
If you've been growing crops that require a steady flow of water, it's time to change your crop. Switching to a drought-resistant crop will allow you to utilize your land for cash crops that do well with less water. Once water becomes plentiful again, you can switch back to your desired crop.
Choose Mobile Drip Irrigation
When it comes to irrigating your crops during a crop, you need to make sure that you get the best use out of the water. Unfortunately, if you're utilizing traditional irrigation systems that provide water from the top down, you may be losing most of the moisture to evaporation. To make sure your crops are getting the most water possible, you need to switch to a mobile drip irrigation system. The drip irrigation will ensure that water gets directly to the root system, while the mobility of the system ensures that water is evenly distributed throughout your crops.
Introduce Cover Crops
If you have bare soil around your crops, it's time to introduce cover crops. Cover crops provide several benefits for your crops during drought conditions. First, the cover crops ensure that less moisture is lost due to evaporation. Second, cover crops help prevent soil erosion and encourages the development of strong root systems. Finally, cover crops help increase the fertility and health of your soil, which helps ensure healthy crops.
Don't take chances with your crops. If you're dealing with drought conditions, use the tips provided here to help grow healthy crops.