Grain on the Brain

Growing Perennial Wheat in Manitoba

Episode Summary

Hear how on-farm trials of developing a perennial wheatgrass crop or Kernza® are progressing. Dr Doug Cattani from the University of Manitoba talks about one of the plots while he’s at Dan and Fran DeRuyck’s Top of the Hill farm in Treherne, Manitoba.

Episode Notes

Guest bio for Dr. Doug Cattani

Doug received his BSA and MSc. from the University of Manitoba (Plant Breeding) and his PhD. from Wageningen University, The Netherlands in Plant Production Ecology. He has worked with herbaceous perennial for over three decades with emphasis on breeding and seed production. His current position is as Perennial Crop Breeder in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba with the breeding of intermediate wheatgrass and perennial sunflower for grain production as the major focus.

If you're in Manitoba and interested in growing a small plot of perennial wheat on your land, you can contact him at: Doug.Cattani@umanitoba.ca

Resources

Learn more about the development of Kernza® and other perennial grasses from the Land Institute

https://landinstitute.org/our-work/perennial-crops/kernza/

You can watch the presentation right in the field here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLq3pN51p8&t=1505s

Sponsor

Funding is provided in part by the Canada and Manitoba governments through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.