Suitability of KERNZA® intercropped with lucerne in the Nordic-Baltic region

Abstract

Kernza® (intermediate wheatgrass, Thinopyrum intermedium) is a perennial grass domesticated as a dual-purpose crop for perennial grain and forage production. Kernza is a perennial deep-rooted, drought and cold tolerant crop that could be a solution for dairy and beef farmers looking for novel, high-yielding crops adapted to climate change. Field trials in Estonia (Eerika) and Sweden (Lönnstorp, Rådde) were established in 2023 with the main objective to test an optimal harvest schedule for forage of Kernza in pure stand and intercropped with lucerne (Medicago sativa). Tested were four different cutting regimes in 2024: first cut beginning of June, end of June/beginning of July, end of July, and September. Kernza biomass yield depended on the time of the first harvest, with cuts in July producing the highest yields (DMY) in all three locations. Kernza intercropped with lucerne resulted in higher total DMY than Kernza monocrops in Lönnstorp, but intercrops seemed to have lower yield in the first cut of the other two locations.

Keywords

fertilization; forage; intermediate wheatgrass; intercrop; yield

Published in

Grassland Science in Europe
2025, number: 30, pages: 260-263
Title: Multi-species swards : Proceedings of the 23rd Symposium of the European Grassland Federation Reading, United Kingdom 15–17 September 2025
Publisher: European Grassland Federation EGF

Conference

The 23rd Symposium of the European Grassland Federation, Multi-species swards, Reading, UK, 15-17 September 2025

SLU Authors

• Danielsson, Dan-Axel

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Albertsson, Johannes

  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lätt, Kajsa

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Picasso, Valentin

  • Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Arvidsson Segerkvist, Katarina

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Dimitrova Mårtensson, Linda-Maria

  • Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• eISBN: 978-90-047-5116-3

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144003