What Would Mother Nature Do?

By Brenda Frick

When Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be cooperating with our agricultural system, it must be time to ask what we are doing wrong. Annual cropping is filled with risks, but is especially vulnerable at seeding. This year, seeding was a challenge, if not an impossibility in areas of NE Saskatchewan. Perennial crops, like hay and pasture, on the other hand, are less vulnerable to the excesses of springtime.

What does Mother Nature do? Although we grow most of our crops as annual monocultures, natural systems are usually perennial communities with mixed species. In prairie agriculture today, only forage crops and a very few horticultural crops are perennial.

The idea of perennial grain crops is not new. Programs to develop perennial wheat were initiated by Russian scientists in the 1920’s and by American scientists shortly after. The Land Institute in central Kansas has been advocating perennial cropping systems for over 20 years. One of their goals has been to develop perennial grains. It has not been easy. So far, perennial grains don’t yield as high as annuals. There is a trade-off in the plant between survival and yield, but this relationship is complex. Perennials may be able to make good use of post harvest rains and of warm weather before the traditional seeding time. In recent years both of these conditions have existed in the most crop-challenged areas of the prairies. There is a trade-off for the farmer as well. Elimination of seeding costs in the second and later years would offset some of the costs of reduced yield.

Development of perennial grains has taken two main directions: perennial species can be domesticated to improve their yields; or annual crops can be crossed with their perennial relatives in the hope of developing perennial grains with greater yield.

Domesticating a wild perennial is largely a process of selecting for higher yields and larger seeds. Intermediate wheatgrass may be the perennial grass with the most potential as a grain crop. The Rodale Institute refers to this plant as Wild Triga. Seeds have a high protein and bran content, and no gluten. Wild Triga can be used as a cooked grain like brown rice, or ground as flour for muffins, cookies, etc. After harvest, the stand would be suitable for fall or winter grazing. Other grasses with some potential include wild rye and beach wild rye (which, according The Rodale Institute was used as a food grain by the Vikings).

Crossing annual crops with their perennial relatives has been considered for a number of species. Washington State University has renewed its interest in perennial wheat. Yield increases have been achieved within the white wheat category. Hard red wheats have been more difficult.

Perennial cereal rye may be easier. Surya Acharya, from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Lethbridge has released a perennial cereal rye. This variety is limited to forage/silage production as it produces many sterile flowers that are prone to ergot. It does have a good fit for livestock feed. Taking advantage of early season growth, it is ready for silage a month before annual silage crops. If harvested for silage at the soft dough stage it has similar nutritional value to barley silage. The rye continues to grow after the silage cut, allowing fall and winter grazing. Its perennial habit eliminates seeding costs in later years. Additional breeding work will be required before a perennial cereal rye is satisfactory as a grain crop.

The use of long term perennial crops has the potential to dramatically reduce seeding costs, including those costs to the environment such as energy use, increased erosion potential and damage to wildlife such as nesting birds. Emphasis on breeding perennial cereals would surely reduce many of the challenges of small seed size and yield. Further challenges might be addressed by further simulating nature.


Brenda Frick, Ph.D., P.Ag., is the Prairie Coordinator for OACC (the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada) at the College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan. She welcomes your comments at 306-966-4975 or via email at brenda.frick@usask.ca.


en français


Posted on the OACC website, August 2006