Dryland farmers hope for rain

Farmers who rely on rainfall to irrigate their crops say they are optimistic that the coming weeks will hold more rain to help support the fields they’ve already planted. Wheat is the leading California crop to be grown using dryland techniques, but vegetables, walnuts and winegrapes can also be grown this way. To be successful in California’s climate, many dryland wheat growers rely on special plant varieties and a crop rotation method that leaves part of their field unplanted to preserve soil moisture.