Research & Scientific Publications - Page 8
The Land Institute’s work advances research and agricultural scientific knowledge and is conducted in an innovative yet rigorous professional context. Explore our findings and ideas via articles authored or co-authored by members of our staff and published in research and peer-reviewed journals.
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Building a botanical foundation for perennial agriculture: Global inventory of wild, perennial herbaceous Fabaceae species
Agroecosystems are constantly evolving to meet the needs of a growing population in a sustainable manner. Concerns about ecological impacts of agriculture, including soil loss, have focused attention on crops…
Cover crop species affect mycorrhizae-mediated nutrient uptake and pest resistance in maize
Abstract: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase plant nutrient uptake and chemical defense production, both of which can improve plants’ ability to resist insect herbivory. Cover crops—non-commercial species planted in…
Reduced nitrate leaching in a perennial grain crop compared to maize in the Upper Midwest, USA
Abstract: Global expansion of high-input annual grain crops and associated nitrogen (N) fertilizer use can have negative consequences for the environment and human health. Nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching from fertilized…
Is the Future of Agriculture Perennial? Imperatives & Opportunities to Reinvent Agriculture by Shifting from Annual Monocultures to Perennial Polycultures
Non-technical summary: Modern agriculture is associated with numerous environmental predicaments, such as land degradation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emission. Socio-economically, it is characterized by a treadmill of technological change, increased…
Two contrasting laboratory methods improve Silphium integrifolium Michx. germination rate to agronomically acceptable levels
Abstract: Organic dormancy, the inability to germinate under favorable conditions, is a common problem in many crop species and their wild relatives, leading to more variable emergence, plant density, and…
Maintaining grain yields of the perennial cereal intermediate wheatgrass in monoculture v. bi-culture with alfalfa in the Upper Midwestern USA
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a perennial cereal crop undergoing development for grain production; however, grain yield declines of >75% are often observed after year 2 of the perennial…
Transforming human life on our home planet, perennially
The development of agriculture is one of the key fault lines in human history, the starting point for the human project of dominating the planet. As the catastrophic consequences of…
Strategies, Advances, and Challenges in Breeding Perennial Grain Crops
Abstract: The development of new perennial crop species is gaining momentum as a promising approach to change the fundamental nature of ecosystem processes in agriculture. The ecological argument for perennial…
Nitrogen use efficiency is regulated by interacting proteins relevant to development in wheat
Summary: Wheat (Triticum aestivum) has low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The genetic mechanisms controlling NUE are unknown. Positional cloning of a major quantitative trait locus for N-related agronomic traits showed…
Managing Crops for Climate Change Can Also Manage Pests
The impacts of climate change are already being felt by farmers in many parts of the world. As such, it is important for us to determine which strategies may help…
Development and Evolution of an Intermediate Wheatgrass Domestication Program
Abstract: Ecological intensification of agriculture is a proposed strategy to enhance the production of food while expanding ecosystem services and reducing inputs. Perennial plants that are directly harvested for human…
Mapping of leaf rust resistance genes and molecular characterization of the 2NS/2AS translocation in the wheat cultivar Jagger
Abstract: Winter wheat cultivar ‘Jagger’ was recently found to have an alien chromosomal segment 2NS that has Lr37, a gene conferring resistance against leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina. The objective of…