Field Notes
Kernza® for Clean Waters
A new report released by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture emphasizes the importance of vegetative cover for decreasing nitrate in waterways. Kernza® is one of many crops that has been shown to cut nitrate leaching into groundwater, according to a summary of the report published by the Star Tribune.
Vegetative cover and perennials with long root systems have the potential to benefit water quality as well as Twin Cities beer enthusiasts. As the article notes, small craft brewing could drive up value for environmentally friendly crops developed by our partners at University of Minnesota and Kernza® perennial grain.