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> Corn wastes many times more water per acre than alfalfa, but is rarely mentioned in such HN threads. Because nobody gives a fuck about wasting water in Kansa
by mrguyorama 3y ago
> Corn wastes many times more water per acre than alfalfa, but is rarely mentioned in such HN threads.
Because nobody gives a fuck about wasting water in Kansas, because most of the places where significant amount of crops are grown don't have water problems like california
The issue at stake is wasting water in california and your attempted pivot to pretend this has anything to do with "crop water efficiency" outside of that context is nonsense.
- kolanos 3y agoCalifornia produces 11 million tons of corn a year [0] and only 7 million tons of alfalfa [1]. [0]: http://www.seecalifornia.com/farms/california-corn.html http://www.seecalifornia.com/farms/california-corn.html [1]: https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/FertilizerResearch/docs/Alfalfa_Production_CA.pdf https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/FertilizerResearch/docs/Alfalfa_Pr...
- Retric 3y agoThere’s several kinds of corn, but if we’re comparing silage it’s 26 tons / acre vs 7 tons / acre for alfalfa. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=CALIFORNIA https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverv... Corn yields are normally measured in terms of grain, but it’s worth remembering the rest of the plant still has value when considering efficiency. But, the reality is completely eliminating California’s water problems is easy on a legal and technical level but not a political one. There is little incentive to let water flow into the ocean so CA is always going to sit right on the edge of a significant issue.