Friday, July 16, 2021 | Country Acres • Page 23
Developing a crop to clean water Perennial grain shows promise in removing nitrates BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER
WESTPORT – Jake Jungers has a dream for the future of Minnesota’s drinking water and $10 million to help make it come true. Jungers is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. He’s working locally to study the impact of planting Kernza®, a perennial grain harvested from intermediate wheatgrass developed at the University of Minnesota, on the nitrate content of the local drinking water. Jungers is working with the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Pope County Soil and Water Conservation District as well as the Rosholt Research Farm at Westport. The work of the partnership at the research farm is funded by
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Jake Jungers, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, along with Rhyan Schicker from Lac qui Parle Soil and Water Conservation District, explains how Kernza reduces nitrate leaching while referencing results from their research.
the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The LCCMR makes funding recommendations to the legislature for environmental and natural resource projects and the local project set the stage for Jungers to receive the multi-million-dollar USDA grant to support
research and activities focused on breeding, agronomics, environmental quality, supply chains and education for developing crops such as Kernza. The large grant supports the work of eight project partner institutions, universities and non-profits as well as more than 50 individual collaborators.
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on the map at the federal level,” he said. “(The LCCMR project) laid the foundation for this $10 million grant from the USDA.” Minnesota, he said, is leading the way for the rest of the states in getting Kernza on store shelves. “It shows Minnesota is innovative and for-
Clean water page 24
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Jungers is also working in Minnesota with the Forever Green Initiative which allows him and his colleagues to study the viability of 17 new crops that serve a dual purpose, being profitable and improving the environment. Kernza is furthest in development. “It puts Minnesota
ward-thinking,” he said. At Rosholt, a collection team uses lysimeters to extract water from 2 feet below the surface to test for nitrates. Dennis Fuchs, of the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District, explains why the testing is important. “If there are high concentrations of nitrates, there’s a good chance you’ll have nitrate moving into the groundwater,” Fuchs said. Kernza combats that. With a root system that can extend down to 15-feet deep, Kernza soaks up the nitrate, harvesting it and using it for energy. Then, the protein of the plant becomes edible. The Kernza grain can be de-hulled and then ground for consumption. Kernza flour can be used for baked goods and the grain can be used by the beverage industry to create drinks including beer. Because the plant is perennial, Jungers said it has a lot of benefits to the environment and to farmers looking to save on production costs.
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