Perennial crops are a perennial plant species that are cultivated and live longer than two years without the need of being replanted each year.[1][2] Naturally perennial crops include many fruit and nut crops; some herbs and vegetables also qualify as perennial. Perennial crops have been cultivated for thousands of years; their cultivation differs from the mainstream annual agriculture because regular tilling is not required and this results in decreased soil erosion and increased soil health.[3] Some perennial plants that are not cultivated as perennial crops are tomatoes, whose vines can live for several years but often freeze and die in winters outside of temperate climates, and potatoes which can live for more than two years but are usually harvested yearly.[4][5] Despite making up 94% of plants on earth, perennials take up only 13% of global cropland.[4][6] In contrast, grain crops take up about 70% of global cropland and global caloric consumption and are largely annual plants.[7]
^Cite error: The named reference Perennialization of crops was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference The Perennialization Project: Perennials as a Pathway to Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes in the Upper Midwestern U.S. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).