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Intermediate wheatgrass as a dual use crop for grain and grazing
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Perennial wheat is on the cusp of its own perennial future, generating excitement on regional, national, and international scales.
Wheat is grown globally on 215 million hectares each year and is second only to rice in globally consumed calories. In the US, wheat is the third most produced crop behind corn and soybeans.
Because of its massive presence on global acres, perennial wheat has the potential to create a substantial environmental impact when substituted for annual wheat on cropland around the world.
Developing perennial wheat to be high yielding and robustly perennial will ensure that the crop is economically viable for farmers and able to begin replacing the global food calories of annual wheat.
More genetic studies on flowering time genes will provide a better understanding of which genes control perenniality.
Through continued breeding efforts and global collaboration, we strive to continuously improve grain yield in perennial wheat over time. Currently, elite lines of perennial wheat yield 50-70% to that of annual wheat cultivars, and we continue to make improvements.
Global evaluation of perennial wheat lines will assist us in understanding perennial wheat performance across different geographies and environmental conditions. Currently, the most promising perennial wheat crosses have been grown in nine different countries.
