Karbaj begins his answer with a fundamental principle: protecting the soil. This means “increasing its organic matter, covering it with vegetative residues, maintaining terraces, and reducing tillage that leaves it bare.” Managing vegetation cover and the timing of grazing are also necessary to prevent competition with trees for water during the summer. Supplementary drip irrigation, guided by soil moisture and the tree’s growth stage, can help protect sensitive periods, but consumption must be capped to prevent efforts to save crops from depleting groundwater.
