Intermediate Wheatgrass Studied at Kellogg Farm
Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum Intermedium) is a perennial cool-season grass that was introduced to the United States in the early 1900s, and has been used as a forage grass (pastures and hay) in the Central and Western U.S. for many years. After several years of experiment with intermediate wheatgrass at the Kellogg Farm, I’m wondering how it might perform more broadly in our grazing and hay systems.
Our work with intermediate wheatgrass has been associated with efforts to identify and test perennial grain crops that are being developed by The Land Institute in Kansas. Intermediate wheatgrass has been central to this effort both by directly breeding for higher seed production, and also through hybridizing it with annual wheat, resulting in what has been called “perennial wheat.”