The Mesa people were able to grow corn in the desert by using traditional dry- land farming techniques suited to arid conditions. They relied on hardy varieties of corn adapted to low rainfall and semi-drought years. Because irrigation was impossible on the mesas, they planted in spots with rich soil where natural rainfall, though limited, was sufficient. They also used water harvesting and conservation methods like floodplain cultivation, rock mulches, check dams, and scattering plots to maximize water retention and soil moisture. Additionally, the indigenous corn varieties were developed or selected over generations for their ability to thrive in hot, dry climates with short growing seasons. Native Americans in the Southwest used tools like planting sticks and relied on crop rotation, fallowing, and natural silt deposits for maintaining soil fertility without irrigation. The Hopi people, descendants of the Mesa culture, carry on these traditions mostly relying on snowmelt and rainfall for moisture rather than irrigation. They have cultivated corn varieties, including blue corn, for thousands of years in the desert valleys between mesas, trusting in the land and using dry farming methods to make agriculture sustainable despite severe drought conditions. In summary, survival of corn agriculture in the desert by the Mesa people was possible through adaptation of drought-resistant corn varieties, strategic planting in fertile patches, water conservation techniques, and applying ancient dry farming methods that maximized the use of limited natural water resources.
