Browsing by Subject "Kernza"
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Item 2020 Progress Report on Grass Seed Production Research(2020) Ehlke, Nancy; Vellekson, Donn; Grafstrom, DaveSummary of research on grass and legume seed production conducted by the University of Minnesota.Item Chemical Characterization, Functionality, and Baking Quality of Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium)(2017-05) Rahardjo, CitraEnvironmental problems have exacerbated the challenges of food production. Soil erosion, run-off from irrigation, and greenhouse gas emissions have significantly impacted the ecosystem through their cumulative effects over decades. As the population increases, these aforementioned problems will grow in scale and scope. Thus, it is important to address these concerns by investigating sustainable solutions and conducting research on new approaches to food supply. Specifically, the development of perennial crops for food use would have environmental benefits such as reduced soil and water erosion. Further, the usage of perennial crops for food applications would provide alternatives to the current and ever diminishing food supply, provide incentives to farmers for planting these crops, and address consumers’ growing interest in sustainable food systems. One of several perennial crops available for potential food use is intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) (Thinopyrum intermedium). Little is known about the chemical and functional characteristics of IWG. Therefore, the overall objective of this work was to characterize the chemical and functional properties of IWG grains from multiple breeding lines for food applications, namely bread baking. Sixteen IWG experimental lines along with one bulk IWG sample and two wheat controls (Arapahoe and commercial hard red wheat) were analyzed for proximate composition following standard methodologies. Dietary fiber, total starch content, and percent damaged starch were determined using Megazyme kits. Amylose/amylopectin ratio and their molecular weight distribution were determined using size exclusion chromatography. Gluten forming proteins profile and molecular distribution were determined using gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography. Dough rheology was assessed using a farinograph and a texture analyzer equipped with a Kieffer rig, while starch pasting properties were monitored using a rapid visco analyzer. Bread baking tests were performed following the AACCI 10-10.03 method. Compared to wheat controls, IWG samples had higher protein, dietary fiber, and ash contents, yet were lower in starch content and deficient in high molecular weight glutenins (HMWG), important protein components responsible for dough strength and elasticity. Specifically, wheat controls had more high molecular weight polymeric proteins (HMWPP), while IWG samples had more albumins and globulins. The ratios of amylose to amylopectin among the IWG samples and the wheat controls were similar. However, percent damaged starch was higher in the wheat controls than in IWG samples. On the other hand, the soluble to insoluble dietary fiber ratio was higher in wheat controls than in IWG samples. Dough rheology data showed that IWG dough was weaker than that of the controls. Farinograph and Kieffer data demonstrated that doughs made from wheat controls were more stable, more resistant to extension, and more extensible than doughs made from IWG samples. In terms of starch pasting properties, wheat controls had higher peak, hold, and final viscosities than the IWG samples, indicating the superiority of wheat controls over IWG samples as viscosity builders. The starch pasting properties data illustrated the samples’ behavior upon heating and cooling treatments, which are important characteristics to consider when evaluating IWG for commercial applications. Even though IWG had similar specific volumes to one of the wheat controls (hard red wheat), both wheat controls had a higher rising capability due to the wheat’s gluten network forming ability. Deficiency in HMWG and high fiber content of IWG samples, contributed to the poor gluten network and consequently inferior baking quality. Overall, results of this work suggest that IWG has a superior nutritional profile as compared to wheat, but poses challenges for baked products that require dough rising properties. Further studies on IWG, such as investigating the effect of conditioners on enhancing protein functionality, determining the effect of fiber on dough development, effect of blending with wheat, and exploring other food applications would enhance its potential utilization as a food crop. This research and future efforts will support breeders in their current screening and future breeding efforts for the development of IWG lines suitable for food applications.Item Forever Green Cookbook(Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, 2021) Dooley, BethForever Green Cookbook Primary tabs These days, knowing where our food comes from and how it’s grown is more important than ever. Along with taste and nutrition, we want to be sure that it’s good for the land and wildlife, that it provides our farmers with a sustainable livelihood, and that good food is accessible to everyone. Such is the work of the Forever Green Initiative (FGI); a University of Minnesota and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Program; which engages teams of experts in genomics, breeding, agronomics, soil health, and commercialization. Since its outset, FGI has placed equal importance on working hand in hand with the farmers, rural communities, food businesses, policy makers, and consumers who insist that healthy food, healthy rural communities, and a healthy environment are not mutually exclusive. Many of them are familiar pantry staples – grains, flour, oils, nuts, fruit, and vegetables. Today, these are all being grown in ways that connect recent advances in agricultural methods with ancient knowledge. Here are delicious ingredients for conscientious cooks. After all, “eating is an agricultural act.” – Wendell Berry.Item Intermediate Wheatgrass Nitrogen Dynamics: Nitrate Leaching Prevention and Nitrogen Supply via Legume Intercrops(2021-07) Reilly, EvelynWe compared soil and soil water nitrate concentrations, root biomass, and yield in intermediate wheatgrass (IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium) and a corn-soybean rotation over three years. Nitrate was 77-96% lower under IWG than the annual system, while root biomass was higher. IWG grain yields were 854, 434, and 222 kg ha-1 for Years 1-3 and biomass averaged 4.65 Mg ha-1 yr-1. IWG effectively reduces soil solution NO3--N concentrations even on sandy soils, supporting its potential for broader adoption on vulnerable land. We also assessed grain and biomass yield and N dynamics in response to mineral fertilizer and six legume intercrops. Treatments affected N dynamics and IWG biomass but not grain yields. N transfer rates ranged from 0 to 27% but legume biomass was negatively associated with IWG grain yield, suggesting competition in addition to nitrogen supply. Overall, alfalfa, red clover, and birdsfoot trefoil were among the best options for intercrops.Item Kernza Community Bake - A Citizen Baking Project of KernzaCAP(Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, 2022-04) Weinstock, Coral; Tautges, NicoleItem Kernza Non Licensee Consortium Desk Audit(2023-07) Terra SomaItem Kernza Non Licensee Consortium Synthesis Memo(2023-07) Terra SomaItem KernzaCAP Year 1 Annual Report(2021-12) Ritter, TaraItem KernzaCAP Year 2 Annual Report(2022-12) Ritter, TaraItem Kernza® Perennial Grain in 40 Milestones(2023-06) Reilly, Evelyn CItem Milestones in Kernza® Perennial Grain Development(2023-08-16) Reilly, Evelyn CItem Phenotype and SNP marker data for an intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) nested association mapping (NAM) population evaluated in St. Paul, MN and Salina, KS in 2017 and 2018(2021-06-21) Altendorf, Kayla R; DeHaan, Lee R; Anderson, James A; Larson, Steven R; kayla.altendorf@usda.gov; Altendorf, Kayla R; University of Minnesota Wheat Breeding LabAn intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population was evaluated at the University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in St. Paul, MN and The Land Institute in Salina, KS for two years (2017 and 2018). The population (n = 1,168 with both phenotype and genotype data) consisted of ten families where each progeny shares one common parent and was planted in a RCBD design with two blocks surrounded by a border plant. The phenotypic dataset includes 33 traits ranging from morphological, maturity, yield components and domestication traits, and a note column which indicates whether the plants were later identified as selfs and/or other observations. The genotype data was derived from genotyping by sequencing and includes over 8,000 SNP markers. The consensus genetic map was created in JoinMap and used for linkage mapping both within and combined across populations.Item Root Structure, Biomass Allocation, And Legume Intercropping Of Intermediate Wheatgrass(2023-08) Griffin, AlexandraIntermediate wheatgrass (IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium) is a perennial grass undergoing domestication as a grain crop, whose deep roots can reduce soil erosion and nutrient pollution. One barrier to the viability of IWG as a grain crop is an interannual decline in seed production, the cause of which is unknown. Both experiments in this thesis aim to uncover plant density-dependent relationships associated with a decline in seed production and guide future strategies to increase yield stability. The first chapter investigates the effects of intercropping legumes on IWG in two row spacings. Intercropping legumes was not found to increase IWG seed or biomass production, however, rarely did intercropping impose net competitive effects. The second chapter investigates root structure and biomass allocation using minirhizotrons. Greater root abundance was not linked to lower aboveground productivity in IWG, which suggests that IWG does not experience a biomass allocation trade-off between above- and below-ground plant tissues.