As Kernza gains momentum in Wisconsin and across the country, agriculture experts say the crop could offer farmers a new way to diversify their operations while improving soil and water health.

Kernza is a variety of wheatgrass and the first commercially available perennial grain. It can be planted once and harvested for three to four years, unlike traditional grain crops.

Matt Leavitt, agronomist at the University of Minnesota, said as Kernza products become more available in retail and online stores, the crop also has the potential to be used as forage for livestock.

"A true perennial crop has a lot of add-on benefits, and there's a lot of exciting market development on the crop, which is not to be taken lightly. To commercialize a brand-new crop and find other uses for it has been a slate of ongoing work," Leavitt pointed out.

Leavitt acknowledged local farmers still wrestle with the best ways to harvest and use the crop. He explained the Midwest Kernza Harvest Field Day aims to answer those questions — and demonstrate best management practices. The event is held in partnership with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and is taking place in East Troy on Aug. 21.

Leavitt noted developing the middle part of the supply chain is critical to getting Kernza from the field into a form processors and consumers can use. Leavitt admitted the crop will not replace millions of acres of corn or wheat anytime soon but could give farmers another option as input costs and climate variability put pressure on farm profits.

"People are really seriously looking at other crop rotational options that can add to their diversification," Leavitt emphasized. "Diversification is a strategy both to weather economic challenges but also climatic challenges as well, because our climate's getting more erratic."

Leavitt stressed the longer-term goal is bigger than Kernza itself, with researchers working toward other perennial grains and oilseeds. The hope is Kernza can help lead a broader shift toward perennial agriculture across the upper Midwest.

"Really taking agriculture in a direction that is going to chart new ground in terms of creating a model for perennialized agriculture is a big lift, and there's a lot of challenges involved. And what we're trying to focus on, especially with growers, is de-risking them as much as possible," Leavitt underscored.

Source: Public News Service