Minnesota researchers are working to boost the yields of perennial intermediate wheatgrass, a forage crop.

James Anderson, a project leader and professor at the University of Minnesota, calls it a “perennial cousin” of wheat, with similar properties.

“Wheat was made evolutionarily by three other grasses that crossed naturally, and the same thing happened to intermediate wheatgrass,” he said.

However, he said, in wheatgrass three different grasses were involved, but they’re still in the same grass family.

Intermediate wheatgrass can’t be milled into the same products as wheat, but Anderson said a 50% blend with wheat can be used for  bread or beer.

The researchers are using Kernza, the trademark name of the grain developed by the Land Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Salina, Kan.

The institute is also working on perennial wheat, rice, sorghum and oilseeds.

“It does fairly well in year one, then we see a little drop-off in year two and a big drop-off in year three,” Anderson said. “With a perennial, you want to get three or four good years out of it before you have to rotate to a different crop.”

The crop can yield 500 to 800 pounds per acre in the first year. Anderson would like to reach more than 1,000 pounds per acre for at least three years.

The biggest demand is for organic Kernza.  Anderson estimates the crop sells at $1 to $2 per pound, with organic netting the higher prices.

“Right now there’s enough demand there that there could easily be a few hundred thousand acres,” he said.

Farmer interest is high, “way more interest than we could supply seed for,” he said.

Farmers raised roughly 2,000 acres of Kernza in 2020.

The program is providing seed “through careful vetting” to farmers willing to provide the time and who are inclined to plant at least 20 to 40 acres, Anderson said.

“This isn’t for everyone,” he said. “We want to have as few failures as possible.”

The wheat industry has long sought perennial wheat. Anderson calls intermediate wheatgrass a short cut, but not the final destination.

Some researchers are using genes for perennial characteristics from intermediate wheat grass in an effort to develop perennial wheat, he said.

“The overall goal is to get more perennial crops out on the landscape,” he said.

Advocates say perennial crops would reduce labor and input costs and soil erosion. 

Kevin Murphy, specialty crop breeder at Washington State University, said Kernza yielded poorly compared to wheat during trials several years ago, although it may have improved since then.

“It may have potential as a niche crop, similar to emmer and einkorn, but I think it is still a ways away from being commercially viable on the Palouse,” Murphy said.

Anderson thinks it could be worth trying in the Pacific Northwest. University of Minnesota variety MN Clearwater has been grown in Utah, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin and New York.

The university will be releasing varieties with better yield, threshing characteristics and less shattering, Anderson said.

“We think the gains for this crop will come quite quickly as new varieties come out,” he said. 

https://kernza.org/