He set out to overturn 10,000 years of farming. Fifty years later, perennial grains like Kernza are taking root on 4,000+ acres in 15 states. [link] #PerennialGrain #Kernza

Fifty years ago, Wes Jackson set out to replace 10,000 years of annual grain farming with crops that grow back every year. Today, perennial grains like Kernza are moving into the mainstream.

#CircleOfBlue #TheLandInstitute #PerennialGrain #Kernza #PerennialAgriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture…

The #LandInstitute was founded in 1976 in Salina KS by #WesJackson, who set ou to produce a perennial grain. He began with a native annual wheatgrass. His breeding efforts produced the new perennial grain known as #Kernza

Though it contains gluten, #Kernza perennial grain lacks high molecular weight gluten (Marti et al. 2015) & performs more like rye in baking applications.

#Kernza is higher in protein/fiber/carotenoids & other antioxidants, when compared to wheat flour. Its protein content is 2x that of white wheat berries. Compared to white whole wheat, it contains almost 5x as much calcium & nearly 2x the dietary fiber (nearly 7x the fiber found in AP white flour

There are #perennialgrains similar to native grasses that are not wheat but provide similar grain. One planting is good for several years. #Kernza does not require annual planting & rebuilds the soil. A #perennialrice is being grown in SE Asia & parts of Africa. Note difference in root structure

#Kernza is a perennial grain but not wheat; its production can result in a 95% reduction nitrogen (N) leaching from the soil compared to annual grain production (Jungers et al. 2019)