Pheonah Nabukalu


BY: MTHIMKHULU & PORTIA WELLS
DURING THE ATTEMPT IN COVERING THE AGRICULTURAL ISSUE, MY CREATIVE PARTNER AND I HIT A WALL IN SELECTING AN ORGANIZATION ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH LAND QUALITIES. THE LAND INSTITUTE IS HELPING IMAGINE WHAT FUTURE LANDSCAPES MIGHT LOOK LIKE WHEN FARMING WORKS WITH NATURE RATHER THAN AGAINST IT. IN THIS CONVERSATION, PORTIA AND I SPEAK WITH FARMER PHEONAH NABULAKU, WHOSE WORK WITHIN THIS EVOLVING ECOSYSTEM OFFERS AN INSIGHTFUL PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT IT MEANS TO SHEPHERD LAND WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO A BROADER MOVEMENT FOR SUSTAINABILITY. OUR DISCUSSION EXPLORES THE GROWTH OF PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE, THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE IN SHAPING RESILIENT SYSTEMS AND HOW THE DAILY PRACTICE OF FARMING CAN CULTIVATE NEW CULTURAL NARRATIVES ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EARTH.

4AC: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO.

PN: I AM PHEONAH NABUKALU, A PLANT BREEDER AND GENETICIST AT THE LAND INSTITUTE. OUR HEADQUARTERS IS IN SALINA, KANSAS, AND I WORK REMOTELY FROM TIFTON, GEORGIA. MY RESEARCH FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING PERENNIAL GRAIN SORGHUM VARIETIES THAT INTEGRATE THE ECOLOGICAL STABILITY OF NATURAL PRAIRIE SYSTEMS WITH THE PRODUCTIVITY NEEDED FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. I AIM TO ENSURE FOOD SECURITY, RESILIENCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY BY REIMAGINING AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS TO MIMIC NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS.

4AC: HOW DID YOU GAIN AN INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE AND PLANT SCIENCE?

PN: GROWING UP IN UGANDA, WHERE AGRICULTURE IS INTEGRAL TO DAILY LIFE, I WAS IMMERSED IN FARMING PRACTICES. I SAW FIRSTHAND THE CHALLENGES SMALLHOLDER FARMERS FACE, WHICH INSPIRED ME TO PURSUE STUDIES IN PLANT BREEDING AND GENETICS, AIMING TO DEVELOP RESILIENT CROP VARIETIES THAT THRIVE IN DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS AND CONTRIBUTE TO FOOD SECURITY. DURING MY GRADUATE STUDIES, I EXPLORED THE POTENTIAL OF PERENNIAL GRASSES FOR COASTAL RESTORATION, WHICH SEAMLESSLY TRANSITIONED INTO AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES. WORKING WITH PLANTS LIKE SEA OATS AND SORGHUM DEEPENED MY COMMITMENT TO BREEDING SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT CROPS.

4AC: AT THE LAND INSTITUTE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK YOU HAVE?

PN: THE MOST CRITICAL ASPECT OF MY ROLE IS ADVANCING THE BREEDING OF PERENNIAL SORGHUM BY SELECTING AND DEVELOPING DESIRABLE TRAITS SUCH AS PERENNIALITY, YIELD, AND STRESS TOLERANCE. THIS WORK ENSURES SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY WHILE ENHANCING SOIL HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE. THIS ALIGNS WITH THE LAND INSTITUTE’S MISSION TO DESIGN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS THAT MIMIC NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS, REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND PRODUCE ABUNDANT FOOD.

4AC: DO YOU THINK OF YOUR WORK AS CREATIVE/ARTISTIC? COULD YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE WAYS CREATIVE AND SCIENTIFIC PROCESSES OVERLAP AND/OR INTERSECT?

PN: PLANT BREEDING IS BOTH AN ART AND A SCIENCE, REQUIRING INNOVATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND THE ABILITY TO ENVISION FUTURE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS. LIKE AN ARTIST BLENDING COLORS TO CREATE HARMONY, I DESIGN BREEDING STRATEGIES THAT BALANCE PRODUCTIVITY WITH ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, CROSSING WILD RELATIVES OF SORGHUM WITH CULTIVATED ANNUAL GRAIN SORGHUM VARIETIES IS A COMPLEX YET REWARDING PROCESS THAT LEVERAGES GENETIC DIVERSITY TO INTRODUCE KEY TRAITS LIKE PERENNIALITY. THIS FUSION OF CREATIVITY AND SCIENTIFIC RIGOR DRIVES THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.

4AC: HOW DOES COLLABORATION INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

PN: COLLABORATION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO MY WORK. ENGAGING WITH FELLOW SCIENTISTS, FARMERS, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMS ENRICHES THE BREEDING PROCESS, ENSURING THAT THE DEVELOPED SORGHUM VARIETIES ARE NOT ONLY SCIENTIFICALLY ROBUST BUT ALSO PRACTICAL FOR REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS. FARMER-CENTERED DESIGN IS A KEY ELEMENT OF MY BREEDING FRAMEWORK, WHERE FARMERS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE AS CO-DESIGNERS TO TAILOR SORGHUM VARIETIES TO THEIR NEEDS. BY PARTNERING WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMS, GLOBAL STAKEHOLDERS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, I ENSURE THAT THE BREEDING PROCESS INTEGRATES DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERTISE, FOSTERING SHARED INNOVATION AND PRODUCING CROPS THAT HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.

4AC: WHILE YOUR FOCUS IS ON DEVELOPING PERENNIAL SORGHUM, IS THERE ALSO A CONCERN FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF NUTRIENT LEVELS OF THE FOOD AND SOIL HEALTH? HOW DO YOU APPROACH YOUR WORK TO CREATE A HOLISTICALLY HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM?

PN: MAINTAINING NUTRIENT LEVELS IN BOTH THE CROP AND THE SOIL IS A CENTRAL FOCUS OF MY WORK WITH PERENNIAL SORGHUM. THE CROP'S EXTENSIVE ROOT SYSTEMS NOT ONLY IMPROVE SOIL STRUCTURE, ENHANCE NUTRIENT CYCLING, AND REDUCE SOIL EROSION, BUT THEY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRAIN WITH NUTRITIONAL PROFILES THAT COMPARE, AND IN SOME CASES SURPASS, THOSE OF CULTIVATED ANNUAL SORGHUM. RECENT EVALUATIONS HAVE SHOWN THAT NEWLY DEVELOPED PERENNIAL SORGHUM LINES CONSISTENTLY MATCH THE NUTRIENT LEVELS OF CULTIVATED SORGHUM, WITH CERTAIN LINES EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS FOR SPECIFIC MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENTS. THIS BREAKTHROUGH HIGHLIGHTS THE POTENTIAL OF PERENNIAL SORGHUM TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD WHILE PROMOTING SOIL HEALTH AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY—OFFERING A TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH TO BALANCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY WITH ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE.

4AC: THE LAND INSTITUTE WORKS A LOT WITH PERENNIALIZING GRAIN AND PULSE CROPS; IS THERE A FUTURE WHERE THERE MIGHT BE PERENNIAL FRUITING CROPS LIKE CUCUMBERS OR TENDER GREENS LIKE SPINACH OR LETTUCES? IF SO/NOT, PLEASE EXPAND.

PN: AT THE LAND INSTITUTE, WE HAVE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITIES OF DEVELOPING PERENNIAL CROPS BEYOND GRAINS AND PULSES, INCLUDING FRUITING CROPS AND LEAFY GREENS. HOWEVER, THESE HAVE YET TO BECOME A PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR WORK BECAUSE OUR MISSION IS TO ADDRESS SOIL AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ON A LANDSCAPE SCALE. GLOBALLY, GRAIN PRODUCTION, NOT FRUIT OR VEGETABLE CULTIVATION, IS THE LEADING CONTRIBUTOR TO SOIL DEGRADATION. AS A RESULT, DEVELOPING PERENNIAL GRAINS AND PULSES HAS THE MOST POTENTIAL TO MITIGATE THESE ISSUES AT SCALE.

WHEN THINKING ABOUT PERENNIAL FRUITS, PERENNIAL TREE CROPS SUCH AS APPLES AND NUTS NATURALLY COME TO MIND, AND HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS LIKE STRAWBERRIES OR SHRUBBY BERRIES ARE OTHER EXAMPLES. SIMILARLY, VEGETABLES LIKE ASPARAGUS ARE WELL-KNOWN PERENNIALS, AND CERTAIN WILD PLANTS CAN BE USED AS PERENNIAL VEGETABLES. HOWEVER, MANY ARE CHALLENGING TO GROW, USE, OR MAKE PALATABLE FOR WIDESPREAD CONSUMPTION.

ADDITIONALLY, NOT ALL PERENNIAL CROPS INHERENTLY SOLVE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES. FOR EXAMPLE, WHILE STRAWBERRIES ARE A PERENNIAL CROP, THEY OFTEN COME WITH THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES, SUCH AS HIGH RESOURCE INPUTS, UNDERSCORING THAT "JUST BEING PERENNIAL" IS NOT ENOUGH. TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT, PERENNIAL CROPS MUST ALSO PROVIDE HIGH HARVESTABLE YIELDS, BE NUTRIENT-DENSE, AND PRODUCE FOODSTUFFS THAT ARE EASILY TRANSPORTABLE AND SUITED FOR GLOBAL FOOD SYSTEMS.

LEAFY PERENNIAL CROPS AND OTHER WILD PERENNIAL PLANTS ARE FASCINATING AND COULD PLAY A VALUABLE ROLE IN SPECIFIC CONTEXTS, ESPECIALLY FOR ADDING VITAMINS TO DIETS. HOWEVER, THEY OFTEN LACK THE PROTEIN, ENERGY, AND FAT CONTENT NECESSARY TO ADDRESS LARGER-SCALE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS. THESE CROPS ARE UNLIKELY TO ADDRESS THE LANDSCAPE-LEVEL ECOLOGICAL CHALLENGES CAUSED BY ANNUAL GRAIN PRODUCTION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, PERENNIAL RANGELAND, CONSUMED BY RUMINANT ANIMALS, OFFERS A PROMISING APPLICATION OF PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE AT SCALE. FEEDING CATTLE AND OTHER RUMINANTS EXCLUSIVELY FROM PERENNIALS RATHER THAN ANNUAL GRAINS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION.

WHILE DEVELOPING PERENNIAL FRUITING CROPS AND GREENS COULD BE A WORTHWHILE AREA OF RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE, AND WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE BROADER PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE MOVEMENT THAT INCLUDES AGROFORESTRY AND GRASSLANDS PERENNIAL AGRICULTURE, THE LAND INSTITUTE’S CURRENT FOCUS REMAINS ON PERENNIAL GRAINS, OILSEEDS, AND PULSES. THESE CROPS HOLD THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR ADDRESSING WIDESPREAD SOIL DEGRADATION AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS.

4AC: IN 2019, YOU WERE ASKED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE LAND INSTITUTE ABOUT YOUR 5-10 YEAR GOAL FOR PERENNIAL SORGHUM. FIVE YEARS LATER, HAVE THOSE GOALS BEEN ACHIEVED? HAVE THEY CHANGED? WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DO YOU WISH WORKED OUT BUT DIDN’T? WHAT IS TO COME?

PN: OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN DEVELOPING PERENNIAL SORGHUM LINES WITH IMPROVED YIELD, RESILIENCE, AND ADAPTABILITY. NOTABLE ADVANCEMENTS INCLUDE BREAKTHROUGHS IN OVERCOMING GENETIC BARRIERS SUCH AS PLOIDY MISMATCHES, WHICH HAVE ENHANCED OUR ABILITY TO HYBRIDIZE WILD AND CULTIVATED NON-GMO SORGHUM VARIETIES. DESPITE THESE SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES REMAIN, INCLUDING ACHIEVING CONSISTENT PERENNIALITY ACROSS DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS AND IMPROVING WINTER HARDINESS IN TEMPERATE CLIMATES.

ANOTHER PRESSING CHALLENGE IS BUILDING RESISTANCE TO SORGHUM PESTS AND DISEASES ACROSS VARYING AGROECOLOGIES. TO ADDRESS THIS, WE MUST EXPAND OUR GENETIC POOL BY INTRODUCING MORE RESISTANT PLANT PARENT LINES INTO OUR BREEDING PROGRAM. WHILE WE WORK TO ADDRESS THESE PEST AND DISEASE ISSUES, WE ALSO PRIORITIZE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH THAT COMBINES GENETIC RESISTANCE WITH ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. THIS ENSURES A HOLISTIC STRATEGY THAT STRENGTHENS THE PLANTS AND SUPPORTS A HEALTHIER AND MORE RESILIENT AGROECOSYSTEM.

FUTURE EFFORTS WILL FOCUS ON REFINING TRAITS FOR BROADER ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTABILITY, STRENGTHENING PEST AND DISEASE RESISTANCE, AND LEVERAGING MOLECULAR TOOLS TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS. WE AIM TO UNLOCK PERENNIAL SORGHUM’S FULL POTENTIAL AS A TRANSFORMATIVE CROP FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE BY TACKLING THESE CHALLENGES.

4AC: DO YOU HAVE ANY RECIPES FOR SORGHUM THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
PN: SORGHUM IS A VERSATILE GRAIN THAT CAN BE USED IN VARIOUS DISHES. A STRAIGHTFORWARD RECIPE IS SORGHUM PORRIDGE, WHICH YOU COOK WITH WHOLE GRAIN SORGHUM WITH WATER OR MILK, SWEETEN WITH HONEY, AND TOP WITH FRUITS AND NUTS FOR A NUTRITIOUS BREAKFAST.

PERENNIAL SORGHUM MAKES GREAT PASTA, AS WE LEARNED DURING AN INTERNAL ALL-STAFF RETREAT LAST JANUARY. IT WAS BY FAR THE STAFF FAVORITE. SINCE PERENNIAL SORGHUM IS NOT YET AVAILABLE, YOU CAN MAKE THIS WITH ANNUAL SORGHUM THAT IS AVAILABLE IN THE BAKING SECTION OR ONLINE.

Sorghum Pasta


INGREDIENTS
200 GRAMS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, APPROX. 1 1/4 CUPS
200 GRAMS SORGHUM FLOUR, APPROX. 1 1/4 CUPS
5 GRAMS SALT, APPROX.1 TEASPOON
200 GRAMS WATER OR WHOLE EGGS, APPROX. 4 WHOLE EGGS

INSTRUCTIONS
WEIGH THE FLOUR AND EGGS USING A KITCHEN SCALE. IF USING EGGS AND THEY DO NOT EQUAL 200 GRAMS, ADD ADDITIONAL WATER TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.

MIX THE FLOURS AND SALT IN A BOWL. ADD LIQUID.

MIX WITH A FORK UNTIL A SHAGGY DOUGH FORMS. IF THE DOUGH FEELS TOO CRUMBLY AND DRY, ADD ADDITIONAL WATER BY THE TEASPOON.

COVER THE BOWL WITH A LID OR PLASTIC WRAP FOR 10 MINUTES SO THE DOUGH CAN HYDRATE.

KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR 5 - 8 MINUTES UNTIL IT'S SMOOTH.

COVER THE DOUGH AGAIN AND LET IT REST IT FOR 30 MINUTES. AFTER RESTING, THE DOUGH SHOULD BE SOFT YET SPRINGY WHEN PRESSED.

USE A ROLLING PIN OR PASTA MACHINE TO ROLL THE DOUGH OUT TO A THICKNESS OF 3MM (0.10 INCHES). THE PASTA SHEET SHOULD BE AT LEAST 15 CM (6 INCHES) ON THE SHORTEST END. TO MAKE WIDE NOODLES LIKE TAGLIATELLE, LIBERALLY FLOUR THE SHEET OF DOUGH ON BOTH SIDES. TO CUT BY HAND, ROLL THE SHEET OF DOUGH LIKE A CARPET AND THEN USE A KNIFE TO CUT IT INTO RIBBONS.

TO COOK, BRING 4 LITERS OR 1 GALLON OF WATER AND 2 TEASPOONS OF SALT TO BOIL. ADD THE PASTA AND COOK FOR 3 MINUTES. WHEN READY, THE PASTA SHOULD FLOAT ON TOP.

REMOVE THE PASTA FROM THE WATER AND DRIZZLE IT WITH OLIVE OIL OR BUTTER TO PREVENT STICKING. ADD SAUCE OR CHEESE AS DESIRED.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE LAND INSTITUTE
SPECIAL THANKS: THROSBY WELLS AND TAMMY KIMBLER