The Land Institute is a research organization in Salina, Kansas, laser-focused on developing perennial grain agriculture. The first and most visible crop project of the 40-year-old independent non-profit is one that many AGC members are involved with growing, baking, brewing and otherwise researching: Kernza®.
“We’re trying to remake agriculture, which is pretty amazing,” said Tessa Peters, TLI’s Director of Crop Stewardship. “What if we went back 10,000 years, to the beginnings of annual agriculture, and made different choices?”
Crop farming developed as people selected seeds from wild plants. In doing so, crops were domesticated over time as farmers chose which seeds to replant year after year. This narrowing of choices over the last several centuries has grown increasingly at odds with soil health. Plants that compete with desired crops need to be eradicated by mechanical or chemical means. The mechanization and industrialization of agriculture geared to the primary grain crops of corn and soy are especially tough on soil structure.
Shifting agricultural systems toward perennial habits—the growth style of prairies, trees, some flowers, and berry bushes, for instance, rather than regular re-seeding and related maintenance—can address several soil health issues. Reducing plowing and tillage limits soil carbon loss and erosion and benefits the microbiome at work underground to support plant health and development. Perennials also decrease weed pressure, increase soil moisture, and could save farmers money and time.
The Land Institute's first step is developing perennial grain plants that can be harvested annually but provide continuous living cover year-round; Kernza is an example of this work. Their next endeavor is creating perennial polycultures—plantings of multiple perennials that support each other undisturbed for years and can be harvested for food. This approach differs drastically from the norms of annual cropping systems, which are generally monoculture crops that are planted and harvested every season. Natural systems agriculture, as this pursuit is also known, looks to the native prairie for inspiration, to weave plants together as nature might, managing pests, disease, and fertility through polycropping. Such agricultural weaving multiplies the advantages of perennial plants, building a mesh of botanical support that can further reduce soil loss due to tillage, as well as reduce or eliminate the need for chemical inputs.
Grains are central to these inquiries because they provide the bulk of calories people consume. Seventy percent of global calories come from grain, and 70% of farmland around the world is planted to grains. How global grains are grown, and grain farmland is supported, will be critical as the food system adapts to climate change challenges. This is why, in addition to Kernza, researchers at TLI and their global partners are working on a portfolio of crops that include perennial wheat, perennial rice, perennial sorghum, and perennial oilseeds, among other grains.
AGC is a collaborator with TLI, the University of Minnesota, and dozens of other partners on the USDA-funded Kernza®CAP project. AGC co-leads the project’s Environmental Quality Working Group and is supporting baking evaluations to determine the functional qualities of new Kernza varieties as they are developed.
For years, TLI researchers have collaborated worldwide, encouraging perennial crop and ag system research through partnerships. Often, the existence of TLI has helped perennial crops researchers justify their explorations within conventional research environments. They’re formalizing these connections through a new initiative, New Roots International, that will help normalize the pursuit of perennials; this series of global research hubs will also amplify work in all sorts of climates and cultures, supporting progress toward the overall goal of prioritizing perennial farming.
TLI’s David Van Tassel was among those who reviewed definitions for our new website’s Grains Guide at a critical juncture, and helped us get them right. The generosity of the 40 staff and interns at TLI is impressive but perhaps unsurprising: given the paradigm shift their work is driving, broad collaborations and knowledge sharing are essential.
“Many in the current generation of public and private agricultural scientists and farmers are excited about the idea of perennial crops and domesticating whole new grains,” said David Van Tassel, reflecting on the changes he’s seen in the 24 years he’s been at TLI. “We TLI scientists are no longer always on the defensive. The need for bold change is becoming obvious to almost everyone, even ponderous national and global funders and bureaucracies.”
To learn more and stay updated on TLI's ambitious and inspiring work, check out their website and social channels with the links below.