Inside the Perennial Grain Revolution: Kernza and the Future of Sustainable Agriculture
Kernza is a perennial grain developed from intermediate wheatgrass by the Land Institute in Kansas, with ongoing work since 2010. It is currently grown in 15 US states and used in products such as breads, cereals, and beers. While the best Kernza yields in Kansas are about one-quarter of those of conventional annual wheat, researchers estimate that some breeding lines could reach wheat-like yields within about 15 years.
One of Kernza's key benefits is its permanent deep root system, reportedly extending up to three meters. These roots stabilize and enrich soils, improve nutrient uptake, and enhance drought resilience. Perennial grains more broadly have the potential to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health, lower fertilizer and pesticide use, cut nutrient runoff, and store carbon in soils, thus addressing some of the environmental issues linked to global agriculture. Agriculture currently accounts for roughly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and is associated with widespread soil degradation and topsoil loss.
Challenges remain, including achieving reliable high yields, overcoming harvesting difficulties, and developing markets and processing systems optimized for perennial grains. Present supply chains are largely built around monoculture annual crops. The Land Institute advocates for a long-term, multi-decade, multi-million-dollar investment strategy to shift resources from annual grains toward perennials, emphasizing that this is no silver bullet solution.
Early indications of adoption include General Mills incorporating Kernza into cereals. Additionally, perennial rice in China, cultivated since 2018, now matches elite annual yields. Research into perennial sorghum is underway in Uganda, and collaborations span about 30 countries worldwide.
Efforts to accelerate breeding programs involve DNA profiling, computer modelling, and the use of far-red LED lighting to enable two full breeding cycles per year, aiming to fast-track the development of improved perennial grain varieties.
