Cutting Irrigation Water Use in Half
Desert pistachios are healthy and thriving with limited water thanks to MultiFIX
In California’s Mojave Desert, where summer temperatures often soar to 115°–120°F, pistachio grower Sonny faced a significant challenge: cutting irrigation water use while keeping his orchard productive.
Sonny’s irrigation system could deliver only 12 gallons of water per tree per week, far less than the 105 gallons recommended by experts for second-leaf pistachio trees. Determined to make the most of his limited resources, Sonny turned to MultiFIX, a soil amendment designed to enhance microbial activity and improve water retention. The results were remarkable: his trees not only survived but thrived, exhibiting lush, dark-green foliage and rapid growth, all while using a fraction of the typical water volume.
“I saw a neighbor at the gas station,” Sonny told us. The neighbor said, “I know you. You’re the guy that’s making his trees grow really fast!”
“Are you putting a lot of water on them?”
“Not really,” answered Sonny. “I’m actually underwatering them. I’m only putting about 12 gallons a week on each tree…compared to some people who are running about 25. Same aged tree.”
“We got really good foliage last year, super bright green,” Sonny told us, “which is consistent with some of the MultiFIX videos that I’ve seen.”
Sonny’s impressive experience with MultiFIX is more proof that trees can grow rapidly and be healthy, even with limited available water.
The challenge: Cutting irrigation water use in harsh climates
Pistachios are naturally drought-tolerant, but they still require precise and timely irrigation, especially during nut fill and kernel development. In the Mojave Desert, where high winds and extreme heat rapidly dry the soil, over-irrigation isn’t an option—it’s a costly mistake.
Sonny needed a way to improve water retention in fast-draining soils, reduce stress on trees during heatwaves, and avoid excessive electricity use from pumping water.
The solution: MultiFIX and microbial-driven soil health
In 2019, Sonny applied MultiFIX to a block of second-leaf trees. Unlike other products that add foreign microbes, MultiFIX feeds and amplifies the indigenous microbes already in the soil.
These microbes create networks and exudates that improve soil porosity, increase moisture retention, and unlock nutrients already present in the ground.
After two years, the results were clear. Trees in the treated block were 53% larger, and irrigation time had been cut by more than half. The treated trees also had larger, greener canopies and noticeably deeper root zones. Cutting irrigation water use became not just a possibility—but a profitable advantage.
See it for yourself: Sonny's story
In this 1-minute video, watch Sonny explain the transformation in his own words—how he cut irrigation in half and still produced healthy, high-yielding pistachio trees:
Your story begins here
Sonny was able to cut irrigation water use by over 50% and still grow pistachio trees that were 53% larger in the same time frame. With a healthier soil microbiome and improved root zone conditions, his orchard proved that even in harsh desert climates, growers can thrive. These results weren’t from a lab—they came from a real-world orchard under real-world conditions.
Want to learn how MultiFIX can help you cut irrigation water use on your farm? Contact us to discuss your orchard goals and let us evaluate your operation to see how MultiFIX can improve your orchard’s performance and long-term profitability. To explore more results and strategies, visit multifix.com/save-water.
