Rice - growers in California are funding research to find innovative new farming methods . The Almond Board of Agriculture is investing $ 4.8 m in up to 64 different research projects targeting three main areas of interest : protection of honey bees , new uses for almond shells , and water sustainability . The harvesting of almonds requires a lot of water , and the growth of the industry is putting a strain on water resources in the state . Increasing water efficiency will help to reduce costs in the $ 4.8bn industry .
Almond-growers in California are funding research to find innovative new farming methods. The Almond Board of California is investing $4.8m in up to 64 different research projects targeting three main areas of interest: protection of honey bees, new uses for almond shells, and water sustainability. The production of almonds requires a lot of water, and the expansion of the industry is putting a strain on water resources in the state. Increasing water efficiency could help to reduce costs in the $4.8bn industry.