Forage boost or grain blues? Legume choices shape Kernza intermediate wheatgrass dual-purpose crop performance
Research collaborators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted a study to understand how intercropping legumes like alfalfa and clover impact the grain and forage yields of Kernza compared to monoculture…
Effects of landscape position on perennial biomass and food crop performance in buffer areas
Colleagues at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics researched the impact of landscape position on perennial crop productivity, particularly as it pertains to soil nutrients and…
Soil Microbial Community Structures under Annual and Perennial Crops Treated with Different Nitrogen Fertilization Rates
Researchers from the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) in Sidney, Montana investigated the fertilization rates of nitrogen, a key plant nutrient often provided by synthetic fertilizers, in perennial crops (including…
Genetic Constitution and Variability in Synthetic Populations of Intermediate Wheatgrass, an Out-crossing Perennial Grain Crop
Long-time collaborators at the University of Minnesota released a paper evaluating trait differences among four synthetic populations of MN-Clearwater, the first commercially available variety of intermediate wheatgrass (the plant that…
Nematode community structure suggests perennial grain cropping cultivation as a nature-based solution for resilient agriculture
Researchers in Germany looked at the influence of intermediate wheatgrass, the plant that produces Kernza® perennial grain, on nematode populations and community structure, using these microorganisms as an indicator of…
Determining the footprint of breeding in the seed microbiome of a perennial cereal
Like humans, plants possess a microbiome that can be inherited and passed on to the next generation of plant seeds, which provides opportunities for plant breeders to harness knowledge surrounding…
Nutritional Quality of Early-Generation Kernza Perennial Grain
A nutritional study on early-generation grain from the Kernza breeding program documents the nutritional quality of the perennial grain, with data underscoring its macronutrient composition, vitamin and mineral content, and…
Origin of current intermediate wheatgrass germplasm being developed for Kernza grain production
Lee DeHaan, Lead Scientist of the Kernza® Domestication Program, and key Kernza collaborators Peggy Wagoner (the scientist who first selected Intermediate Wheatgrass as a viable perennial grain candidate for domestication),…
Distinguishing Abiotic from Biotic Stressors in Perennial Grain Crops: Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Silphium integrifolium and Thinopyrum intermedium
Scientists in The Land Institute’s Crop Protection Genetics Program and research collaborators co-authored a paper documenting the impact of nutrient deficiencies on various aspects of plant growth and their implications…
Grain Yield Potential of Intermediate Wheatgrass in Western Canada
Perennial grain research collaborators in Western Canada released a paper documenting the influence that nitrogen management and intercropping exert over grain yield for the crop. Abstract Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium;…
Perennial intermediate wheatgrass accumulates more soil organic carbon than winter wheat – a model assessment
Perennial plants are known to add more biomass to soils when compared to annual plants, as evidenced by the rate of carbon accumulation in grassland ecosystems, but less research has…
Photosynthetic capacity, canopy size and rooting depth mediate response to heat and water stress of annual and perennial grain crops
Climate-resilient crops are becoming increasingly desired as global climate patterns continue to shift. This paper looks at the ability of perennial grains to adapt to warmer and drier growing conditions…