Prairie chicks wait for food in their nest in a Kernza field. (Photo credit: Patrick LeHeiget, University of Manitoba)
To make the most of perennials’ ability to produce both on- and off-farm biodiversity, some researchers and farmers are following the example of Indigenous people, who have thoughtfully stewarded landscapes for millennia.
While farmers often rotate their annual crops or plant cover crops during the off season, “the idea with perennial crops is that you want them to stay in the ground for many years, which means you’re not rotating anymore. So how do you take that diversity in time and move it to diversity in space?” Murrell asked. The answer: strategically planting different perennials together to benefit one another.
A few examples: planting silflower with a perennial groundcover like turf grass, which provides a natural weed barrier. Alternating rows of Kernza with rows of alfalfa to provide Kernza with nitrogen and prevent the grain from clumping together, competing with itself, and becoming less productive, which it tends to do after a few years when planted alone. Growing two flowering species that bloom at slightly different times together to support pollinators. Or practicing agroforestry by incorporating trees or shrubs into farming systems, while producing additional forest products like fruit, nuts, or mushrooms.
“The real powerhouse of our agriculture is based on grain crops and grazing crops, but trees are an amazing addition to the toolkit,” said Fred Iutzi, director of research and commercialization with the Savanna Institute. Because they’re perennial and tall in stature, they help create an important year-round diversity of ecosystems in the farm landscape, in addition to supporting a diversity of species, Iutzi said.
“The real powerhouse of our agriculture is based on grain crops and grazing crops, but trees are an amazing addition to the toolkit.”
Several efforts to promote perennial agriculture have received influxes of funding in recent years. As part of last year’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the agency dedicated $60 million to agroforestry, for instance.
The Savanna Institute plans to scale up its agroforestry work as a result, said Iutzi. “And that will work hand in glove with the money that’s available for farmer incentives, as farmers will receive free technical assistance here and in making agroforestry a reality on their farms.”
The Savanna Institute also plans to use some of the new funding to measure and document indicators like how agroforestry practices mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and to develop relationships with processors and buyers that might be interested in expanding their Midwest sourcing of perennials like tree fruit and nut crops.
