Intermediate wheatgrass as an edible grain crop has advanced to pilot-scale production. The Land Institute and their collaborators have established intermediate wheatgrass fields from Kansas to Michigan, covering more than 50 acres in 2010. These trials have shown that the crop is broadly adapted and easy to grow. Further increase in grain yield will be essential to broad adoption. To that end, breeding programs are being expanded and accelerated.

Methods for harvest and processing of intermediate wheatgrass have been tested, nutrition values measured, and pilot commercial applications put into practice; test-marketed under the name Kernza™, the flour can be used to make many specialty grain products.

big yellow combine harvesting field of intermediate wheatgrass
Harvest of intermediate wheatgrass.
Photo courtesy of The Land Institute.

Intermediate wheatgrass hay is valuable forage for livestock and also a promising biofuel for northern latitudes, often out-producing switchgrass.

With co-production of a high value grain for human consumption, the crop could be an attractive option to farmers and ranchers in many of the world’s grain producing regions.

Researchers working on intermediate wheatgrass envision increased acreage as improved varieties come available and businesses emerge to support production and markets.

field of green intermediate wheatgrass
Field of intermediate wheatgrass.
Photo courtesy of The Land Institute.

Researchers from multiple disciplines including soil science, weed science, plant breeding, agronomy, and agricultural economics are collaborating in this research. Dr. Don Wyse at the University of Minnesota stated that the goal of the research is to increase grain size and biomass, and improve quality to obtain a commercial variety.

Specific research objectives include:

Wheatgrass for human consumption

Intermediate wheatgrass grain has been used to make bread, beer, and now chapati:

person's hand pressing on chapati dough made from Intermediate wheatgrass flour
chapati puffing up over open flame
Making chapatis with intermediate wheatgrass flour.
Photos courtesy of The Land Institute

Intermediate wheatgrass flour, "Kernza," was available for sale to the public for the first time at the Land Institute's Prairie Festival in fall of 2010, according to this article from the Salina Journal.

The Salina Journal reports that in 2011, Kansas bakers are offering loaves of bread baked with 30% Kernza flour at the Prairie Festival.

Partnerships acrross the region advance Intermediate wheatgrass research:

The Land Institute; a Green Lands Blue Waters consortium member based in Salina, Kansas; has been conducting breeding work for many years on perennializing grains.

In 2010 the University of Minnesota, acting through the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, awarded Land Institute plant breeder Lee DeHaan an Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems position.

The Endowed Chairship provided Dr. DeHaan with access to the University of Minnesota's network of research facilities. Experimental plantings of Intermediate wheatgrass were established at locations in Minnesota in 2011, including the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca, the Southwestern Research and Outreach Center at Lamberton, the West Central Research and Outreach Center at Morris, and the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. Two small on-farm experimental plantings were also established in south-central and west-central Minnesota.

Dr. DeHaan said, "These Minnesota locations are designed to compare the economics and agronomics of planting Intermediate wheatgrass compared to [other biofuel crops]. How does the soil carbon accumulation and nitrogen leaching compare? What are the biomass yields and grain yields? We are hopeful that with grain plus biomass, this crop will get close to being economically competitive with corn or switchgrass. With switchgrass you are sacrificing food to grow it. With corn you only get grain; or if you take all aboveground biomass you will rapidly degrade soil quality. With a perennial grain you should be able to have grain plus biomass while actually building soil organic matter."

Intermediate wheatgrass research is also happening at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station. Under the direction of Dr. Seiglinde Snapp, Michigan researchers are investigating two main areas:

1) Quantifying ecosystem services with annual wheat and intermediate wheatgrass. Post-doctoral researcher Steve Culman says, "We are asking the question, 'What makes more of a difference in determining ecosystem services, management or perenniality?' We are tracking soil carbon pools, soil moisture use and soil nitrogen leaching in annual wheat and intermediate wheatgrass managed in 3 different systems: organic, conventional with low nitrogen fertilization, and conventional with high nitrogen fertilization."

2) Evaluating the potential of intermediate wheatgrass as a forage crop in Michigan. Dr. Snapp's team is evaluating the quantity and quality of several varieties of intermediate wheatgrass in solid stands and in varying mixtures with alfalfa.

More about perennial wheat research at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station

References

Prospects for Developing Perennial Grain Crops. 2006. T.S. Cox, J.D. Glover, D.L. Van Tassel, C.M. Cox, and L.R. DeHaan. BioScience 56(8):649-659. Abstract.