Crops Need Less Water Thanks To New Tech

The Waterstick is a new invention that could help farmers in the West save water during the record-setting drought. 

The invention "allows farmers to grow more food using 75 percent less water. This method allowed [the inventor] to successfully grow, on average, 150-200 pounds of tomatoes per plant using a mere half gallon of water, whereas normal growing methods would require at least two to three gallons of water," Nature World News reported. 

"By bypassing the six to eight inches of soil above the root ball of a plant using the WaterStick, farmers can let their crops quench their thirst even during periods of drought," the report continued. 

Jon Dewey, the inventor, framed the Waterstick as something to help ensure the food supply as the West languishes in drought conditions. 

"I can't say I have the answer to fix the drought, but some of my inventions could really help people who live in drought states grow food for their families using very little water," he said, per the report. 

The Waterstick "delivers water directly to a plant's roots through a feed tube buried in the soil," according to the Chattanooga Times. "This method, [the inventor] says, allows gardeners to use one-quarter as much water and grow roots that are bigger and spread deeper."

Jay Famiglietti of NASA is among the experts who have urged the public to take the drought seriously. 

"It takes years to get into a drought of this severity, and it will likely take many more... to crawl out of it," he said in a news release.

For more information about the drought, check out Water Online's Water Scarcity Solution Center.