Jerry Glover on Perennial vs Annuals

Jerry Glover shows a perennial wheatgrass plant's long roots which grow deeper than annual plants' roots. Using perennials, crops that can be harvested more than once without replanting, may be the key for feeding more people while conserving farmland soil.

 

"Perennial crops can be grown for more than two years alone or alongside annuals, and they can radically improve soil health and support a healthier community of bacteria and fungi underground.

 

Annuals have to develop roots every year, which means their growing season is much shorter. Perennial roots go deep — some as deep as 10 feet — and they will sustain the plant for many years. Way down there, the roots can capture more groundwater. Those deep, better-established roots also help cycle nutrients in the soil and make them more available to plants". - Jerry Glover