By Alan Kraus
Conservation Program Manager, Cannon River Watershed Partnership (CRWP)
One downside of our current production of grain crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and barley is that these crops are annual crops, meaning that they need to be planted each year. This also means that many of the fields where annual grain crops are grown will spend at least some time during the year with no living plants covering the soil surface with vegetation and holding the soil in place with roots – protecting the soil from water and wind erosion. According to researchers, a new perennial grain crop trade named KernzaTM could solve those problems and provide grain for food use and forage for livestock while also keeping the soil covered year round.
Read the full press release below with pictures attached:
