Colorado State University researchers have launched a multi-year study to evaluate forage crops that could help producers maintain productivity in western Colorado as water supplies become less reliable.

The project will examine alternatives to alfalfa, a forage crop that performs well when snowpack and reservoir levels support irrigation but becomes more vulnerable during extended drought conditions. Researchers aim to identify crops that can thrive with limited irrigation while remaining economically viable for producers in the upper Colorado River Basin.

The study was selected for CSU’s 2026-2028 Climate Ready Agriculture and Water Innovation Grant program and received $200,000 in funding from the university’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability, the Colorado Water Center and the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station.

Researchers say agricultural production on Colorado’s Western Slope has long depended on mountain snowpack to replenish reservoirs and provide irrigation water throughout the growing season. As drought and water shortages become more common, the team will investigate strategies that could help producers adapt to increasingly arid conditions.

The grant will support the establishment of test plots at the Western Colorado Research Center and at higher-elevation locations along the upper Gunnison River. The research will focus on the challenges of establishing perennial forage crops in arid and semi-arid environments, where moisture variability, weed pressure and other factors can affect early plant development.

The project also includes doctoral research using drone-based technology to estimate crop evapotranspiration, or water use. Scientists will evaluate how different management practices influence water consumption in low-water forage crops, including peas and sainfoin, a perennial legume known for its forage quality.

In addition to measuring water use, researchers will develop economic models to assess the profitability of various forage crops and crop combinations under different production scenarios.

Project leaders said the test plots could support future studies on soil health and the restoration of beneficial microbial communities, creating a foundation for long-term research on perennial forage systems.

The research comes as water availability remains a growing concern across the Colorado River Basin. According to CSU, approximately 75% of irrigated farmland in the upper basin is dedicated to alfalfa and other forage crops. Most of Colorado’s alfalfa production supports the state’s livestock sector, which generates about $5 billion annually and represents the largest segment of the state’s agricultural economy.

Principal investigators on the project include Perry Cabot, professor of CSU Extension and agricultural water management specialist; Daniel Mooney, associate professor of agricultural and resource economics; Lovreet Shergill, assistant professor of agricultural biology; and José Chávez, professor of civil and environmental engineering. CSU Extension faculty members Todd Ballard and Hannah Cranor also will contribute to the research effort.

Source: Colorado State University, "Study examines crops that could thrive in a water-strapped future"