A star in the making…and brewing

The emerging grain crop, Kernza®, is now grown in 10 states across the U.S. and making its way into various food and beverage products, including baked goods, cereals, and beer. This development raises a significant question: Could this innovative grain enhance cropping systems and open new food markets in the United States?

Kernza is a perennial crop derived from intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) that can produce both food and animal feed while regrowing each year without the need for replanting. U.S. farmers and researchers believe these characteristics can help reduce farming inputs and decrease the disturbances to fields that are commonly associated with annual crops. Additionally, its deep roots may enhance nutrient and water efficiency while contributing to soil health conservation and improvement.

Kernza has great potential as a multifaceted grain, but comprehensive research is still needed to thoroughly understand the benefits, challenges, and outcomes of growing Kernza at a farm scale in various agricultural regions.

“The introduction and success of a new crop requires long-term research and investment across the entire development and supply chain,” said Research Agronomist Grace Miner with the Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research Unit in Fort Collins, CO. “To understand where Kernza may contribute to healthy, multifunctional agricultural systems, accurate information is needed on the potential benefits or trade-offs of this perennial grain at regional and national scales.”

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from ARS locations across the nation formed the USDA-ARS Kernza Network to evaluate how and where Kernza can enhance current cropping systems and ensure a long-term economic viability within the U.S. food supply chain.

Using a comprehensive, multi-phase study across all locations growing Kernza, the team can accurately observe, capture, and compare multiple years of variations in the yields of Kernza grain and forage. They will also assess nutrient management needs, water requirements, and environmental outcomes. The sites in the Network research are Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

In addition to measuring its impact on farming, the study analyzes the mineral nutrient density and protein concentration found in the Kernza grain to provide breeders with useful information and help them connect growers with millers, bakers, distilleries, and other agricultural markets.

The brewing and distilling industries have shown strong interest in and early adoption of Kernza, and ARS has begun collaborations with industry stakeholders to analyze the brewing and distilling properties of this perennial grain throughout the supply chain. Beer enthusiasts can now raise a glass to a new wheatgrass bred for grain production that could make agriculture more sustainable.

However, the USDA-ARS Kernza Network isn't tackling this challenge alone. ARS works closely with key partners like KernzaCap, a network consisting of researchers, graduate students, business leaders, nonprofit professionals, and farmers across nine states, supported by a multi-year grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The Network is also working in collaboration with The Land Institute and land grant universities to amplify the effort and to provide insights into growing Kernza at a national level.

Learn more about Kernza with ARS Soil Scientist, Dr. Peter Kleinman (Under the Microscope): 

https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/utm/kernza-and-intermediate-wheatgrass-the-plant-that-keeps-on-giving/

Kernza® is the trademark name for the grain of intermediate wheatgrass being developed at The Land Institute.