NEWS

MARGINALIZED CROP PLANTS

Since humankind settled, and probably before, we have been selecting plants according to our needs, which has led to an incredible variety of crops. The modernization and industrialization of agriculture favors high-yielding varieties that are easy to grow, harvest and process in monocultures. As a result, our staple foods are limited to a few species, such as wheat, potatoes, rice, beans, etc., and only a tiny selection of varieties are grown within these species. The resulting reduced diversity means a loss of site-specific crops and an increasingly one-sided diet for which the human body is not adapted.

 

PERENNIAL CROP PLANTS

By covering the soil all year round the erosion and the leaching of nutrients is reduced drastically. The deep root system loosens the soil, which leads to better aeration and thus to better soil quality. This dense root system also enables more efficient water use, which means that less human attention is required. Compared to annual plants, perennials have to build up less biomass, therefore need less fertilizer and thus do not unnecessarily burden the surrounding ecosystems. They have a longer growing season and can this way increase productivity.

 

CROP WILD RELATIVES

Wild forms of our present-day crops are called crop wild relatives. They are usually more adaptable and more resistant than our cultivated plants, which makes them a gene bank for resistance and other enhancement breeding of existing crops. The destruction of their natural habitat can lead to a loss of diversity, which is why it is important to deal with these wild forms in advance in order to prevent genetic impoverishment.

 

The photo above shows a plant of the Solanum acaule variety, which grows in the Andes of Peru. It is very small and forms tiny potatoes, but it is resistant to late blight and is, thanks to the large berries, also suitable for breeding.