OSA is pleased to share the new California Dry Farm Trial Report 2022 which can be accessed for free in our online resource library. Dry farming is a method of crop production practiced during a dry season. It does not use irrigation, but instead utilizes moisture stored in the soil from the preceding rainy season. This report is based on our dry farm trial conducted to evaluate the seed yield and performance of several varieties of tomatoes, beans, and squash under organic cultivation with watering conditions ranging from dry-farmed to weekly irrigation. The trial focused on varieties that are known to produce a reasonable fresh market crop with limited water. What is less well known is how seed yields are affected by the same limited moisture regimes. Performance was measured through seed yield, seed germination rate, marketable fruit yield, and taste.
