Field Smarts: Protecting Farmers’ Wallets and Our Water, with Bruno Basso

What About Water? with Jay Famiglietti

It’s estimated that by 2050, we’ll have over 9 billion people on earth. To feed everyone, we will need to produce 60 per cent more food - and we'll need to grow it using less water.

On this episode of What About Water? we’re looking at new technology that can make that shift possible. Jay sits down with colleague and friend Bruno Basso, an agro-ecosystem scientist at Michigan State University and the co-founder and chief scientist of CIBO Technologies.

Basso walks through the remote sensing technology, artificial intelligence, and process-based models farmers can use to optimize their yield - and environmental outcomes - using more precise water and fertilizer inputs. In the Last Word we look at one of the most impactful inventions for precision agriculture: drip irrigation. John Farner, Chief Sustainability Officer for Netafim, explains how this low-tech innovation is helping farmers around the globe grow higher quality crops with less water.We also dive into three ‘Ask Jay’ questions. You can check out the LA Times article Jay mentions here.

And if you have a question about water for Jay, let us know who you are, what’s on your mind, and where you’re based – by writing to [e-mail]. We also like voice memos!