Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.
Fowler School of Engineering, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA.
Commun Biol. 2024 Sep 30;7(1):1225. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06841-y.
Many parts of the world face severe and prolonged drought conditions, stressing the sustainability of water resources and agriculture. Transitioning to water-efficient crops is one strategy that can help adapt to water scarcity. An emerging drought-tolerant crop of interest is chia (Salvia hispanica). Yet, no study has compared its large-scale water use dynamics to those of widely established crops across the globe. Here, we use satellite data over multiple years to assess the water use efficiency of chia, alfalfa, corn, and soybean globally. Results show that chia consumed 13-38% less water than alfalfa, corn, and soy and assimilated 14-20% more carbon per amount of water used. Substituting 10% of Southwest United States alfalfa cultivation with chia would save 184 million liters of water per growing season, equivalent to the annual water consumption of 1,300 households. Future research shall explore the economic, societal, and environmental ramifications of substituting alfalfa with chia in dry areas worldwide. These insights can guide decision-makers in promoting sustainable agriculture and water resource management.
世界上许多地区面临着严重和持久的干旱条件，这对水资源和农业的可持续性构成了挑战。向用水效率高的作物转型是适应水资源短缺的一种策略。奇亚（Salvia hispanica）是一种新兴的耐旱作物，引起了人们的关注。然而，目前还没有研究将其大规模用水动态与全球广泛种植的作物进行比较。在这里，我们利用多年的卫星数据来评估全球奇亚、紫花苜蓿、玉米和大豆的用水效率。结果表明，与紫花苜蓿、玉米和大豆相比，奇亚的耗水量少 13-38%，每消耗一定量的水，其同化的碳量多 14-20%。如果将美国西南部 10%的紫花苜蓿种植用地替换为奇亚，每个生长季节可节约用水 1840 万升，相当于 1300 户家庭的年用水量。未来的研究应探讨在全球干旱地区用奇亚替代紫花苜蓿对经济、社会和环境的影响。这些见解可以为决策者提供指导，促进可持续农业和水资源管理。
