Perennial Wheat Research Plots

Figure 1

In 2003, Chris Herron, a Franklin County dryland farmer, had a mission: to look at the possibility of perennial wheat as a buffer on highly erodable ground on his land. Mr. Herron went to the Franklin Conservation District (FCD) and with help from Washington State University (WSU), received funding from the Department of Ecology to evaluate the effectiveness of perennial wheat as a buffer in reducing sediment and nutrients from entering surface water runoff and to prevent wind erosion on light soils in low rainfall areas.

Washington State University Perennial Wheat Program

Figure 2

Perennial wheat is a new crop that is being developed by the Winter Wheat Breeding Program at WSU. For the past 10 years, Dr. Stephen Jones, WSU Winter Wheat Breeder and Geneticist, has been making hybrids between annual wheat and perennial wheat grasses from the Thinopyrum species. Progeny from these crosses were selected for their ability to regrow after the grain was harvested. Annual wheat completely dies after harvest, but perennial wheat hybrids have the capacity to regrow, survive the following winter and set seed in the next year (Jones and Murphy, 2006).

Perennial wheat plants have survived up to 8 years in field studies and can be either red or white varieties. Perennial wheat yields and nutrient requirements are still unknown. Perennial wheat seems to have no adverse reactions to either herbicides or fungicides commonly used on wheat. The market for perennial wheat should be the same as for annual wheat, though there might be a specialty market because the micronutrient concentration and protein are much higher than annual wheat.

Project Description and Site Locations

Figure 3

Sediment runoff quantity and quality from fields are being evaluated at two sites in Franklin County and one site in Whitman County. This project compares erosion under three different cropping conditions: existing Conservation Reserve Program land, winter wheat and summer fallow fields with perennial wheat buffers and without perennial wheat buffers (Fig. 1). The winter wheat and summer fallow fields rotate every year.

Sediment runoff from the treatments is being captured in catchment basins located at the bottom of the fields (Fig. 2). Sediment runoff reached a basin during the 2007-2008 growing season (Fig. 3). In-field runoff causing rill formation was most noticeable in the fallow fields and there was no noticeable rill formation in the perennial wheat (Fig. 4). This project will run through summer 2009.

Multiple Benefits

Figure 4

It is not expected that perennial wheat will replace annual varieties. However, planting perennial wheat in sensitive areas, such as near streams, could benefit the grower and the environment. Water quality would benefit from reduced sediment and nutrient loading, air quality would see reduced PM10 emissions and growers would be able to harvest these buffers.

This project is being conducted with the cooperation of Chris Herron, Herron Bros. Partnership, Jim Moore, Franklin Conservation District, Farm Service Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Washington State University. Funding is provided by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology under their Centennial Clean Water Fund.

Reference:

Murphy, K. & Jones, S. 2006. Perennial Wheat in the Pacific Northwest. Sustaining the Pacific Northwest: Food, Farm, & Natural Resource Systems 4(3): 6-8.