A Perennial Green Revolution to address 21st-century food insecurity and malnutrition
Researchers at Colorado State University published a paper discussing the benefits of pursuing a “Perennial Green Revolution” where the further development of perennial grains like Kernza®, silflower (a perennial oilseed…
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…
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…
Perennial Grains and Oilseeds: Current Status and Future Prospects
Doug Cattani, perennial grain research partner of The Land Institute from the University of Manitoba in Canada, provided an overview on the role of perennial grains in the future direction…
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…
Short-term effects of Kernza and alfalfa on microbial communities
Legumes have been extensively studied for their ability to increase soil fertility, which has prompted both scientists and farmers to plant them in companion with other crops in a configuration…
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…
Malting Kernza® Perennial Grain: Assessing Characteristics, Quality, and Flavor of Kernza Malt
Perennial Pantry, a Minnesota-based food company championing Kernza perennial grain, released a malting and baking report that “advanced new uses for Kernza by researching the crop’s malting characteristics, malt quality,…
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),…
Towards a practical theory for commercializing novel continuous living cover crops: a conceptual review through the lens of Kernza perennial grain, 2019–2022
Staff at The Land Institute, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and the University of Minnesota discuss what is required to build developmental frameworks for novel continuous living cover (CLC) crops and…
Soil total carbon and nitrogen under long-term perennial bioenergy crops receiving various nitrogen fertilization rates
A long-term study conducted in the northern Great Plains region of the US indicates that perennial crops such as intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza) may sequester greater amounts of soil carbon and…