Genomic Tools for Kernza®, Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) Improvement –– Breeders’ Toolbox for Improving a New Perennial Grain Crop

Kernza^®, the trade name for intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) held by The Land Institute, is a new perennial grain crop and is genetically related to common wheat. Kernza provides substantial environmental services relative to annual grain crops, including reduced soil erosion, reduced nitrate leaching, increased carbon sequestration, and reduced input of seed, tillage, energy and herbicides. In 2011, the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota initiated the breeding program with germplasm supplied by The Land Institute. The goal is to increase grain yield and biomass of Kernza and enhance grain quality for food products through plant breeding and genetics in order to obtain a commercially viable perennial grain/biomass crop within the next decade. With the advancements of new sequencing technologies, it is feasible to develop genomic tools for a new crop such as Kernza. In the past four years, genome-wide molecular markers were discovered; a high-density consensus map was developed, a draft genome sequence was completed, and QTLs for seed weight, threshability, shattering resistance, and plant height were identified using linkage mapping and association mapping. A genomic selection-based recurrent selection method was established and is being used to increase genetic gain. These genomic tools are leading to the rapid improvement of Kernza, and they will benefit breeders working on not only new promising crops but also staple crops.