ST. PAUL, Minn. (Nov. 3, 2026) — KernzaCAP is the largest coordinated research effort to date on Kernza®, the first commercially available perennial grain in the United States. After six years, $10 million in USDA funding, and substantial leveraged resources and partnerships, KernzaCAP is concluding its grant period this year. Although the grant is ending, the work will continue across the U.S. KernzaCAP generated a new Kernza variety, risk-management tools for growers, stronger cohesion across sectors, and numerous, publicly-available resources to support Kernza’s continued development.
A few of the project’s accomplishments include:
- Expanded USDA programs to support Kernza adoption, including FSA crop/acreage reporting; NRCS cost-sharing through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and EQIP in certain states; a farmer/supply chain data-sharing framework with RMA to evaluate crop insurance products; the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) Program for Kernza forage insurance; and the Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for Kernza grain in Wisconsin.
- Development of a genomic selection method at Kansas State University that reduced the time and cost of genotyping Kernza, accelerating future variety development.
- Partial support of the release of a new Kernza variety, ‘MN-Itasca.’
- KernzaCAP was built to include multiple disciplines and sectors, resulting in increased understanding and collaboration across partners and key learnings to inform the field of transdisciplinary research.
- Technical and marketing resources designed with and for brewers, distillers, bakers, chefs, and consumer packaged goods companies, along with resources on Kernza nutrition and environmental benefits.
- An overview of how the team conducted this project, which can guide the development of future perennial crops.
These advances improve conditions for a growing Kernza market. General Mills’ Cascadian Farm brand quadrupled its use of Kernza through its “1% Kernza Initiative;” the Perennial Percent initiative was launched; Sustain-A-Grain and Colorado Malting Company launched the first-ever Kernza malt line; Patagonia Provisions partnered with brewers across the U.S. to create Kernza beer; and Perennial Pantry, Sturdiwheat, Perennial Spirits, 40 Century Grain, and Michael Fields Institute all brought new Kernza products to market.
Launched in 2020, KernzaCAP brought together more than 100 partners; researchers, farmers, industry leaders, educators, and policy experts from 10 universities and 24 nonprofit, farm, and food-industry organizations. KernzaCAP grower guides, industry technical manuals, curriculum materials, scientific publications, and other resources are publicly available. See Kernza.org for regularly updated Kernza information.
“KernzaCAP is a wonderful example of the land-grant mission at work,” said Jake Jungers, associate professor and project principal investigator. “Universities partnered with non-profits, businesses, teachers, farmers, policymakers and many others to conduct basic science and use that science to advance a new crop and food ingredient. Importantly, the work didn’t stop at R&D; we developed resources to help businesses and consumers access Kernza at a commercial scale. The work is far from over, but KernzaCAP was a critical launching point for the development of perennial grains.”
KernzaCAP was supported by AFRI Strengthening Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Program (SAS-CAP) grant no. 2020-68012-31934 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
University of Minnesota news release
Comments