Trendy new wheat being studied for climate change potential in the Maritimes 

A PhD student at Dalhousie University is growing a trendy new wheat she says could be an option for Maritime farmers looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. 

Kernza is a wheatgrass that has attracted the attention of celebrities and chefs around the world, inspiring new products including beer, whiskey, pasta and pancakes. There was even a "Kernza-Con" conference in Minnesota last month.

Brittany Cole first became interested in Kernza while working for the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture on a climate adaptation project.

Now, she's doing a PhD project on the wheat. 

"It is a perennial, so it comes back every year and it has a really deep rooting system. That makes it more resilient to climate changes and extreme weather from year to year," Cole said.

"Adaptation-wise, it is going to have deeper roots. So in terms of holding the soil together, preventing soil erosion, longer lifespan, it's just better for less intensive agriculture on our land."

Kernza was developed by The Land Institute, which is based in Kansas. 

Cole is trying to determine how the wheat will grow in the Maritimes. 

She said the topsoil here is not as deep as in the U.S. Midwest, but that she's using a seed developed at the University of Manitoba which is more suited to a Canadian climate.

Cole will have her first harvest in a couple of weeks. She said she's excited to see what kind of yield she gets. 

"It's the first time it's ever been grown in Atlantic Canada and the Maritimes. So it's a big deal, to try something new and see how it does," she said.

"That's a big component of finding solutions for climate change. And with our extreme weather patterns, finding alternative options so that we can still keep feeding ourselves."

Cole said Kernza is a dual crop that can be cut as forage to feed livestock, and then harvested as a grain later in the season.

"You can keep it for longer. But in terms of the grain harvest potential, four years is kind of the best sweet spot for getting a good yield," she said.