Thursday, November 13, 2014



Fruit Loops May Cost Less as Scientists Develop Year-long Crops



     Walking down the cereal aisle at the supermarket is half the fun of food shopping to some. The choices of what cereal to get for the week can be an important choice of course.  Every trip I personally want at least 2-3 brands for some variety.  We tend to limit our choices though due to the costs of cereal and it only seems to keep rising.  Some of the reasons for this is that cereal crops are annually harvested and each harvest takes a toll on the soil of the fields they are planted.  This is also important with the population growing exponentially year by year.  the need for the staple crops is rising but the land available is not.


     Scientists are now trying to change the genetic makeup of the crops to create perennials and extend the growing season.  This would allow for better use of the land with less impact per harvest.  Longer growing seasons could create deeper roots and sturdier plants as well.  the deeper roots could receive better nutrients and efficiently utilize them from the soil.  If the scientists prove successful, there still is the issue of how to utilize the new perennial crops.  farmers will then have to discuss planting and harvesting in the new perennial fields of the future.  It is unclear if it will truly drive prices of the staple foods down on the supermarket shelves, but more importantly it may be a small solution to a growing global epidemic of world hunger

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/nature/perennial-agriculture/
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2013/130827/ncomms3320/full/ncomms3320.html

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