Land Institute
|
|
The Land Institute is working for agriculture to make a paradigm shift, from annual plants to perennials. Annuals, favored since farming began some 10,000 years ago, require replanting each year. For much of the year they are dead. They lose soil, and waste water and nutrients. The institute looks to the dominate form of natural ecosystems, perennials growing in species mixtures. Perennials live year-round below ground. They have a running start for the growing season, cover and hold soil better, even adding to it, use resources more effectively, and with diversity better resist spread of pests and disease.
Using gains made in scientific knowledge and ability over the past few decades, institute scientists are breeding the annual crop plants wheat, sorghum and sunflower with wild, perennial relatives. They also are working to domesticate productive perennials, including the high-protein Illinois bundleflower.
Since each recombination of traits and selection takes a plant generation, to achieve productive and genetically stable perennial crop plants for use by farmers is expected to take several decades.
In addition to promoting a "natural systems agriculture," The Land Institute is an advocate for rural community. It sees the former helping the latter, with less reliance on industrial supplies and more value on knowing the particulars of place.
Geneticist Wes Jackson founded the nonprofit institute in 1976 near Salina, Kansas.