A summary of the paper entitled Effective weed suppression in dual‐use intermediate wheatgrass systems By: Joe Zimbric In September of 2015 a small quarter acre section of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arlington Agricultural Research Station was planted with a cycle 4 variety of Kernza® intermediate wheatgrass. At that time, the small planting represented the first … Continue reading Into The Weeds
August is a busy time for both The Land Institute and Kernza® growers. As interns shuffle from the fields to the threshing rooms, growers all around the country are at various phases of harvesting their Kernza® plots. Amidst the activity, we are revisiting research pertaining to perennial crops’ ecosystems services. In the paper summarized here, … Continue reading Below the Surface: soil health and perenniality
The fungus Fusarium graminearum can cause Fusarium head blight and produce DON toxin in Kernza® if favorable conditions (75-85oF with high moisture/humidity) occur during pollination and grain fill. The Land Institute conducted a small study in 2019 to test the effect of lodging and swathing on DON toxin levels. There was no effect of swathing … Continue reading DON Update
The University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative has been helping coordinate harvest protocols for MN growers in four cluster areas and have produced a series of resources for growers in MN and the Upper Midwest. A comprehensive collection of information for growers can be found here. They have also produced documents outlining protocols and best … Continue reading University of Minnesota – Forever Green Initiative tools for 2020 Kernza® harvest
If you missed your chance to purchase Kernza® flour at Prairie Festival, Perennial Pantry is excited to announce the first Kernza® flour available for use by home bakers on sale for pre-order (shipping in August)! To grow as a new food crop, Kernza® perennial grain needs ongoing research and development. Through a partnership with The … Continue reading Cooking with Kernza® – A Citizen Science Opportunity
Perennial crops, like Kernza® varieties of intermediate wheatgrass, have been proposed as a more sustainable alternative to annual crops, because they have extended growing seasons, continuous ground cover, reduced nutrient leakage, and sequester more carbon in the soils than annual crops. In a recently published Plant Science paper, researchers dive deeper into the water and … Continue reading Carbon and water relations in perennial Kernza®
Because the Kernza® community was unable to gather in person this year due to COVID-19, the annual Kernza® Meeting has moved online. You can explore the presentations on the agenda below. Final Kernza Agenda Each of the webinars will be uploaded and be accessible here, too! Day 1: Kayla Altendorf (UMN) – 00:03:08 Steve Larson … Continue reading Watch the 2020 Kernza® Meeting
Hosting field days to showcase the latest crop research has long been an outreach and education tool for researchers and educators. The University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative (FGI) is no exception, having hosted a number of events through the years featuring Kernza®, pennycress, hazelnuts, and winter camelina. However, the advent of COVID-19 and restrictions … Continue reading Forever Green, Fried Chicken and Flexibility
KernzaⓇ perennial grain can currently be found on restaurant menus and in consumer products such as beer, crackers and pasta. Perennial Pantry seeks to bring this delicious new grain to home kitchens as flour and whole grain. Developed by The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas in close partnership with the University of Minnesota Forever Green … Continue reading Start-up company Perennial Pantry launches crowdfunding campaign inviting home cooks and bakers to test KernzaⓇ perennial grain and flour in their kitchens
Growing Kernza® is a new venture for farmers in many ways. New crop, new rotation, and perhaps a new way to market. It has the potential to change farming, to change agriculture, to change the landscape. And we can do it with very limited alterations to our most common farming practices As the knowledge and … Continue reading Guest Post: Carmen Fernholz – A Farmer’s Perspective on Growing Kernza®
