Soil health company MyLand announces critical water savings across the Southwestern United States

MyLand, a soil health company, honors the 2024 World Water Day by releasing new data on water conservation benefits achieved through its Soil as a Service (SaaS) offering. The data demonstrates MyLand’s impact on water conservation in the critical Southwestern states of Arizona and California.  

MyLand partners with growers to improve soil health and soil function by harnessing the land’s native organics, resulting in profound impacts on water conservation. Increased water holding capacity and soil organic matter represent two fundamental soil health indicators of water conservation. Healthy soil can hold onto more water for longer periods, reducing the need for frequent irrigation and lowering overall water usage. On average, MyLand serviced farms stored 8,685 more gallons of water per acre foot of soil. This is primarily through increases in soil organic matter, which improve water retention, infiltration, soil structure and aggregation, while decreasing evaporation and soil erosion. 

In the arid American Southwest, the usage and conservation of critical water resources are essential to meet the demand for growing population dynamics, energy production, food security, and of course, agriculture, ″especially in environments that are desertified or are on the way to being desertified,″ said MyLand Principal Scientist & Research Director Kris Nichols. ″If we’re going to get serious about water conservation in the American Southwest, then improving our agriculture soils must be part of the solution,″ added Nichols.    

California grows more than 33% of the vegetables and nearly 75% of the fruit and nuts¹ produced in the U.S., using 34 million acre feet of water annually² (enough to supply over 75 million households annually). As healthier soils can retain more water, MyLand’s Service has shown promising water conservation results in California almond production after only nine months:   

• Water use decreased by 10% relative to control.  

• Water use efficiency increased by 24% relative to control.  

Arizona is similarly hungry for water to support its agriculture, communities, businesses, and infrastructure. Agriculture is the largest user of water in Arizona, representing 74% of the available water supply³. MyLand serviced acres in Arizona experienced a decrease in water use by 15% in alfalfa.  

″Water scarcity and growing population dynamics in desert agriculture create a lot of challenges, especially as the demand for water is projected to increase,″ said Nichols. ″In desert agriculture it’s essential to look to biologically based solutions like microalgae to address these issues.″  

Microalgae supports water and nutrient use efficiencies. As part of the MyLand Service, live, native microalgae have been shown to improve soil structure and nutrient cycling, which improves water use efficiencies.   

″With the help of microalgae as a food source for the microbial life within the soil, the mutual alliance between microorganisms and plants will kickstart and flourish at a higher rate than if the food source was absent,″ said Kelsey Neppel, MyLand Director, Agriculture Science. ″This relationship in the soil supports nutrient absorption, improves soil structure, and protects against soil borne pathogens. A well-fed microorganism leads to a well-fed plant with an elevated immune system, and a healthy immune system will always lead to a stabilized crop yield.″ 

Soluble salts in soil can make it difficult for plants to extract water and uptake critical nutrients. MyLand soils showed a decrease in soil salinity by an average of 63% in California tree nuts and 68% across crops in Arizona. Soil salinity often requires flushing with water for removal, which compounds water usage. 

MyLand’s impact on water conservation extends beyond these promising results in Arizona and California. The company is also working with growers in Texas, Washington, and Florida to realize improved water usage. 

The patented MyLand Soil as a Service (SaaS) technology benefits not only growers but also food and beverage manufacturers who have set ambitious water stewardship (e.g., Replenish and Net Positive strategies) and regenerative agriculture goals. MyLand offers a unique opportunity for food and beverage companies to build a sustainable and resilient agricultural supply chain.  

About MyLand  

MyLand is a soil health company. MyLand’s innovative and patented technology and unique Soil as a Service™ approach allows farmers to easily and rapidly implement regenerative agriculture practices and improve their soil health by harnessing the land’s own native ecosystem, because No Two Farms Are Alike™. MyLand partners with farmers to infuse life into their soil, helping to return farms to their most fertile state, achieving greater productivity and enhanced profitability. By improving soil health, MyLand is helping to tackle two of the world’s biggest challenges: food security and climate disruption. 

Sources  

¹ California Department of Food and Agriculture: California Agricultural Production Statistics  

² California Department of Water Resources: Agricultural Water Use Efficiency  

³ Arizona Department of Water Resources: Conservation; Agriculture