“If (growers) are trying to get through a really tough crop season or they know it’s going to be tough for the foreseeable future, what we’re doing,” Cabot said, “how can they actually get something to grow on that land that doesn’t “doesn’t demand demand alfalfa consumption?”

Hunter Doyle of The Land Institute is working with Cabot and several Colorado growers to answer that question. They told the group they are looking at crops that produce a good yield while they can use less water or have the ability to recover better from drought.

One crop in particular, Kernza, is of interest because it can produce both hay and grain, Doyle said.

“We’ve made our own varieties that are aimed at grain production,” Doyle said. “However, when we found that we did this, we needed to produce more grain, the plant needed more energy. So you see more biomass in these plants, more leaves. You also see a denser root system to draw more nutrients from the soil.”

Being able to have other options besides alfalfa will be a benefit to farmers who want to use their irrigation water more efficiently, Doyle said. He said one of the benefits of studying alternatives like Kernza or Sainfoin, another forage crop, is to give farmers a guide on how to grow these crops.

“I work in the field with a number of farmers and every field I go to is different and it takes a unique approach,” said Doyle. “So having more tools in the toolbox — like Kernza, like Sainfoin — (gives growers) options. This will enable people to be better farmers and use their water more efficiently.”

Cabot also demonstrated how they use a drone and artificial intelligence to help them study crops as they grow.

“It’s the best drone for this purpose in the entire state of Colorado,” Cabot said. “So we’re happy to be at the forefront of this work.”

American Rivers’ Hannah Holm said the research will ideally help farmers cope with drought while also helping the Colorado River system as a whole.

“Most of what we use water from the Colorado River Basin for is agriculture, and most of that is to grow hay,” Holm said. “So the big theory is that if we can find alternatives, you can reduce the pressure on the system and the rivers. That’s why American Rivers cares about it.”