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Diseases and Pests
Black grassland bugs can be a problem for the cultivation of Thinopyrum intermedium, as they can cause severe damage on the wheatgrass plants. Heavy infestation can reduce seed production and coupled with unfavourable conditions lead to plant mortality. By feeding on the plants, the bugs destroy cells and the destruct or remove chlorophyll, leaving whitish spots on the plant leaves.

Disease and Pest Management
Thinopyrum intermedium is a perennial plant, which means that usual methods of disease management used for annual grain production might not be applicable and efficient. Also, common herbicides used in annual grain cultivation aren't approved for the production of intermediate wheatgrass. Therefore, different approaches are necessary to disrupt diseases cycles of multiple pathogens in Kernza® grain production.

Resistance is an important factor when managing the perennial grain crop, as resistance is a defense which is active continuously and no application of active substances is needed throughout the year. Thinopyrum intermedium has shown resistance against the following four major cereal pathogens. Barley yellow dwarf and wheat streak mosaic diseases are viral diseases which can cause complete yield loss without control and tan spot caused by the fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and take-all caused by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici.

Cultivars of Kernza®
Certified seed of the improved seed material are available at Crop Improvement Associations or from commercial sources. The cultivars differ in area of origin, selection traits and in regard to their purpose.

Nutritional use of Kernza®
Krenza contains higher values of protein, ash content and dietary fiber content compared to wheat. Further a 100 gram uncooked Kernza® provides 1540 kilojoule (368 kcal) of food energy and is a good source of Calcium (120 mg) as well as Iron (5.5mg). Comparing Kernza® to White Wheat Berries Calcium contents are 4.8 times higher and Iron values are more then doubled. Kernza® contains gluten but is deficient in high molecular weight glutenin, which limits the functionality especially in baking. The higher fat content in Kernza® may increase overall rancidity, but higher antioxidants content compared to wheat may offer a protective effect. There are existing products with Kernza® such as Honey Toasted Kernza® by Cascadian Farm’s and Patagonia Provisions’Kernza® beer to name two of them.

Management practices
There is little known about management practices regarding specifically Kernza®. According to the official Kernza® webpage Kernza® is already being intercropped with legumes and in an article of the StarTribune, it is said that in the Upper Midwest of the USA, Kernza® should be sown not later than the 1st of September to ensure root establishment before winter. However, there are still field trials being done to examine nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisation rates and application timing to maximize grain and forage yields.