High Value, Low Input Crops for Small Farms of Northern New Mexico

U.S. farmers are looking for new crops that will help diversify their farms and increase their profits. Most irrigated agricultural land in northern New Mexico is cultivated by small-scale farmers and ranchers with fewer than 20 acres. Also, northern New Mexico faced water deficit conditions especially in recent years due to climate changes. Now traditional crops are no longer economical for the farmers, thus high value, low-input plants gain their importance. The objective of this program is to introduce high-value, low-input crops for Northern New Mexico. Medicinal plants have higher demand in the market and are quite suitable to northern New Mexico soils and weather conditions. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) holds a high economic value as the world's most expensive spice and grows in water deficit conditions as well as cold winter and warm summer climatic conditions. Essential oil-bearing plants also are high-value, low-input crops and the concentration of secondary metabolites was reported to be higher under water deficit conditions.