Perennial Grains: Miracle Crop of the Future

Imagine a crop that could keep global bread baskets full year after year. And imagine if producing that same crop required minimal pesticides, herbicides, and fuel, and could actually improve the environment on which it was grown. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction or foodie daydreams, but scientists are pretty close to creating this miracle plant.

Researchers recently wrote in the journal Science about the prospect of growing perennial grains, crops that boast significantly longer growing seasons than traditional, annual plants. Scientists say that depending on certain breakthroughs, the world could see perennial grains within the next 20 years. If the superhero-like plants do come to fruition, it would certainly be one of the biggest advances agriculture has seen in the last 10,000 years. Think Industrial Revolution-like big.

Before purists lose their cool, let's get one thing straight: Perennial grains are not (I repeat, are not) genetically modified. They're created through complex cross-breeding, a process that's been used since Gregor Mendel monkeyed around with peas. Cross-breeding provides a ton of the produce and flowers that folks use everyday.

The real advantage of replacing traditional grains with perennials is that the crops could ensure food security through longer growing seasons while also benefiting the environment. Perennial grains have long roots that stretch 10 to 12 feet deep. These roots take greater advantage of precipitation, unlike annual crops, which lose about five times as much water as perennials. Deep roots also prevent soil erosion, while the crops themselves sequester carbon.

Perennial crops are also less resource-intensive than annuals. They require significantly less herbicides and pesticides and don't rely on as much farm equipment. That helps cut back on fuel, which means fewer carbon emissions.

Another advantage to using less resources is that it makes the plants more affordable for poor farmers in the developing world. Cheaper agriculture also ensures greater food security. "Developing perennial versions of our major grain crops would address many of the environmental limitations of annuals while helping to feed an increasingly hungry planet," John Reganold, the study's lead author, told Seed Daily.

Perennial grains are poised to completely revolutionize agriculture as we know it, but their success really depends on more research. Right now, scientists in Australia, Argentina, China, India, Sweden, and the U.S. are working on perennial grains. It's going to take a global effort to ensure the world's food security. I just hope that the grains get the resources and funding they deserve.

Photo credit: Peggy Greb via Wikimedia Commons