tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post2688490391402423676..comments2023-10-31T07:14:05.264-04:00Comments on The Scientist Gardener: Commercial Perennial Crops?Matt DiLeohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08602997050973123349noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-71420191906433601602011-09-10T08:24:47.618-04:002011-09-10T08:24:47.618-04:00Yeah I think you'd need to expect a 1-2 year e...Yeah I think you'd need to expect a 1-2 year establishing period for most perennial crops. In addition to yield, we'd also run into the problem of so many farmers renting their land on a year to year basis.Matt DiLeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602997050973123349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-42216228854364759502011-09-10T01:08:15.383-04:002011-09-10T01:08:15.383-04:00While perennial crops might be a good idea, i don&...While perennial crops might be a good idea, i don't think they would be as great as everyone envisions they would be. I suspect there would be a tradeoff somewhere. In the case of a perennial corn, the plant would probably spend more time (at least in the first year) establishing a deep root system and thick foliage, and probably would only produce seed every few years. I doubt it would produce seed every year. I've grown Zea Diploperennis, and i must say it has a very different growth habit than that of corn. It has a very remarkable root system though. i don't know, just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-75547215569537656572011-08-14T21:53:06.893-04:002011-08-14T21:53:06.893-04:00I would think diseases would be the biggest reason...I would think diseases would be the biggest reason not to perrenialize grains. As it is, cultivating wheat two-three years in a row on the same land increases diseases considerably, which is part of the reason for crop rotation (the other part being to get a chance to put some legumes in).<br /><br />Seems like there's a huge disease and pest-resistance problem to be sorted out before perrenializing grains could be economically feasible.Indirect Heathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00126752664799076406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-40033159650582985522011-06-15T03:01:04.759-04:002011-06-15T03:01:04.759-04:00I agree completely!I agree completely!Patrickhttp://www.patnsteph.net/weblog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-66882031543258052642011-06-14T15:56:24.230-04:002011-06-14T15:56:24.230-04:00Yeah, i think that makes a lot of sense. It's ...Yeah, i think that makes a lot of sense. It's a great example of why we need government supported and non-profit research. There are lots of great ideas that just won't be profitable anytime soon (if ever).Matt DiLeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602997050973123349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-47825590169343245762011-06-14T14:03:19.488-04:002011-06-14T14:03:19.488-04:00I suspect more than anything perennial crops just ...I suspect more than anything perennial crops just don't fit into the business model of the larger seed companies. They are probably so focused on selling seeds every year together with the chemicals.<br /><br />I think it's one of the problems people campaigning for major changes in the worlds food system have, is just the inertia large seed companies have, and how set they are in their ways. Why fix something that isn't broke?Patrickhttp://www.patnsteph.net/weblog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-63879531487021742642011-05-20T10:19:56.400-04:002011-05-20T10:19:56.400-04:00I'm not sure, but at their website it's ma...I'm not sure, but at their website it's made clear that dealing with pests and pathogens is one of their primary concerns.Matt DiLeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602997050973123349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-76893680958152660792011-05-20T08:45:57.428-04:002011-05-20T08:45:57.428-04:00It would be interesting to see how pests and disea...It would be interesting to see how pests and diseases of extant grain crops adapted to perennial versions - particularly fungi with overwintering spores that might survive in the surface debris. Are they envisaging a mix of clonal cultivars in a field, like an orchard?Rhizowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13898344291012563139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-16547567380977322452011-05-14T10:37:21.642-04:002011-05-14T10:37:21.642-04:00Yeah, that's an interesting point. There's...Yeah, that's an interesting point. There's been a lot of interest in controlling apomixis for the same reason (picture ramping up hybrid seed for commercial sales without having to waste ~ 1/5th of your field on unharvested males). To some extent elite individuals can already be selected with di-haploids, but you lose half their alleles...Matt DiLeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08602997050973123349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1710169082937042837.post-1209804697658147352011-05-14T08:02:32.382-04:002011-05-14T08:02:32.382-04:00Another interesting aspect of switching to perenni...Another interesting aspect of switching to perennial crops would the potential to switch to clonal cultivars. Clonal propagation on a large scale is still pretty costly, but if the economics worked out, it could be pretty exciting. The ability to select elite individuals rather than populations could dramatically speed up breeding progress.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14433418903218452909noreply@blogger.com