Researchers have figured out how to grow tomatoes that consume less water without compromising the yield, quality, or taste, Phys.org reported.

The researchers used something called CRISPR technology to genetically alter the tomato plants to be able to grow them more efficiently. Their findings were published in the scientific journal PNAS.

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To create tomatoes that required less water — especially important in the face of increasingly frequent and intense droughts — the scientists removed a gene called ROP9, which functions as a switch that toggles the plants between an active and inactive state. By removing that switch, the tomato plants’ stomata remained partially closed during the day, allowing them to retain more water.