UW researchers working to show perennials are profitable through new $10M project

Valentin Picasso, an agronomist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said researchers in his field have known for a long time that planting perennial crops in farm fields has a long list of environmental benefits.

The plants’ year-round presence protects the soil from erosion and helps absorb nutrients that would otherwise runoff into lakes and rivers. The forages, which are used for livestock feed, also create an environment for increased biodiversity and can even help fix carbon into the soil, mediating the effects of climate change....

   ...more

Ken Notes: I have often dreamt of a landscape where we could suggest vegetation options for just 10 feet from the high water mark of our lakes rivers and streams. We could control runoff, invasive plants, over fertilization, and erosion. By working together with farmers and property owners we could develop beautiful environmentally friendly landscapes. We should start with our Parks and publicly owned property.