Kernza®, a perennial cereal, for diversifying systems
Kernza® is the name of a cereal native to the highlands of Iran. It has been studied for three years at the agronomy school in Lyon, ISARA, because of its perennial characteristics. This is one of the main lines of work of Christophe David, Doctor in Agricultural Sciences, and the subject of Olivier Duchêne’s thesis, whose research began in 2017.
Perennial cereals are “a challenge for multifunctional agriculture”, say the researchers in a presentation available online.
Thinopyrum intermedium, that’s its Latin name, is a “model and promising plant”. Its main advantages: a production cycle that can last over several years and a dual use as grain and forage. The grain is used in human food, while “vegetative biomass” is used in animal food, explains Olivier Duchêne in a report broadcast on France 3 on August 25.