The roots of perennial wheat Is this be the future of wheat? This is not the best photo, but it is pretty damn mind-blowing. What you see here is Jerry Glover, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, holding the root system of a single perennial wheat plant. The photo was taken by Scientific American editor Mariette DiChristina at the Compass Summit in Palos Verdes, California. There s more to this than just a freaky looking plant dreadlock. That root system represents something far bigger than itself: Soil health. Perennial plants build soil and protect against erosion in ways annual plants and their skimpy root structures simply cannot. It s why, since large-scale corn farming replaced perennial prairie, Iowa has lost some 8 vertical inches of precious topsoil. Glover s argument: To protect our farming resources for future generations we need to pay more attention to the potential benefits of perennial crops. Jerry Glover Compass Summit via Boing Boing Share ThisSubscribedel.icio.usFacebookRedditStumbleUponTechnorati