In Australia there are more and more vineyards, but there is less and less water and the lands are more salty. The shortage of water for all vineyards limits the growth of the sector. Therefore, researchers at Adelaide University have prepared a method to grow with less water the same number of vineyards. It is about deceiving the vineyards. Half of the roots of each plant are artificially dried and the other half are well fed with water.
The plant then emits cut-off signs of perspiration when believed to be drying. In this way, the roots fed allow to keep the plant healthy and reduce water consumption by 50%. The technology can also be used with citrus, pears and peaches, and is already being tested in Europe, Argentina and the United States.