New study: UC studying agave as drought-resistant crop
An interdisciplinary team of scientists and researchers from University of California, Davis, are studying agave plants in the Golden State as farmers are turning to the crop as a potential drought-tolerant option of the future. The research is centered on studying agave genetics, virus susceptibility, pest control, soil management and crop productivity, said Ron Runnebaum, a viticulture and enology professor who is leading the team of researchers at the newly formed UC Davis Agave Center. … Agave plants don’t require much water and their hardy leaves are fire resistant. The crop can be used as a fiber, distilled into spirits or converted into a sweetener. That combination of traits could offer an alternative to fallowing fields by switching from thirsty crops to one requiring less water.