Soil total carbon and nitrogen under long-term perennial bioenergy crops receiving various nitrogen fertilization rates
A long-term study conducted in the northern Great Plains region of the US indicates that perennial crops such as intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza) may sequester greater amounts of soil carbon and…
David Pimentel consistently promoted perennial grains as the future of agriculture
Authors Tim Crews and Sienna Polk pay homage to influential entomologist and Cornell University professor David Pimentel, who was widely known for his numerous studies on the energetics of traditional…
Domestication effects on nitrogen allocation, internal recycling, and nitrogen use efficiency in the new perennial crop Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae)
Abstract Improvements in seed yield during domestication and breeding are frequently achieved moving plants from the conservative syndrome of the plant economic spectrum towards the more acquisitive side, changing how…
Toward plant breeding for multicrop systems
Program leads from the Legume and Crop Stewardship Programs at The Land Institute released a paper detailing the ability of diverse cropping systems to address critical environmental issues connected to modern…
A social perennial vision for the North American Great Plains rooted in the resilience of a natural system-inspired agriculture
In the 2022 book Creating Resilient Landscapes in an Era of Climate Change, a shift to natural systems agriculture, which is modeled by indigenous agricultural practices and the diverse, perennial mixtures found in prairie ecosystems,…
Policy pathways for perennial agriculture
Recent research highlights the policy mechanisms and market developments that are necessary to catalyze a shift toward perennial agriculture systems that provide more substantial ecosystem services and greater climate resilience…
Perennials as Future Grain Crops: Opportunities and Challenges
New research published in parternship by Carlsberg Group Future Crops, The Land Institute, University of Copenhagen, Carlsberg Foundation, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Innovation Fund Denmark, Lund University in…
Changes to architecture of Silphium integrifolium Michx. during domestication reveal new trade-offs for yield
Ongoing domestication of whole leaf rosinweed, Silphium integrifolium Michx., as a perennial oilseed and forage crop aims to increase yields while limiting decreases in other desirable traits (i.e., trade-offs). Two…
Unraveling the genetic components of perenniality: Toward breeding for perennial grains
Although tremendously successful at feeding humanity, row crop agriculture based on annuals contributes to numerous ecosystem dis-services, ranging from soil degradation and aquatic eutrophication to greenhouse gas production. In contrast,…
Gourmet grasslands: Harvesting a perennial future
Commentary The global food system is highly dependent on grains, the production of which requires annual biomass turnover, which reduces soil health and undermines sustainability. Investments in diverse perennial grain-producing…
Seeding date affects seed and biomass yield of Silphium integrifolium Michx. (silflower)
Abstract Silphium integrifolium Michx. (silflower [Asteraceae]) is an emerging perennial oilseed and biomass crop with potential to supply ecosystem services, but optimum seeding dates for establishment are unknown. Our objective…
Development of whole‐genome prediction models to increase the rate of genetic gain in intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) breeding
Abstract The development of perennial grain crops is driven by the vision of simultaneous food production and enhanced ecosystem services. Typically, perennial crops like intermediate wheatgrass (IWG)[Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth…