Dhaqaalaha Beeraha Mareykanka: Biyaha iyo Barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay Beeraleyda
Beeraleyda Mareykanka ayaa bilaabay inay isticmaalaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada si ay uga hortagaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Beeraleyda Mareykanka ayaa bilaabay inay isticmaalaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada
Beeraleyda Mareykanka ayaa bilaabay inay isticmaalaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada si ay uga hortagaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Beeraleyda Mareykanka ayaa bilaabay inay isticmaalaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada si ay uga hortagaan biyaha iyo barakacnimada, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
Biyo iyo barakacnimada ayaa saameyn ku yeelatay beeraleyda, iyadoo Bryce Black, beeraleyda dhexe ee Beloit, Kansas, uu sheegay inuu ka baqay inuu beeriyo biyaha iyo barakacnimada.
A small group of American farmers are experimenting with perennial grains like Kernza as a way to build resilience against drought and heavy rain that are increasingly damaging annual crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans.
Drought Hits Kansas Farms, Sparking Interest in New Crops
Bryce Black, a fourth-generation farmer in Beloit, Kansas, watched his 2025 winter wheat yield fall to its lowest since he took over the family farm in 2017. After a late October rain gave him hope for his 1,800-acre wheat field, a dry winter and spring brought extreme drought that forced him to harvest only about 1,500 acres. 'It was just a grit your teeth and get through it type of deal,' Black said, describing the frustration of unpredictable weather on his 4,500-acre operation.
Black, who also grows corn, soybeans and milo, is now exploring perennial grains as a way to reduce labor and cost. 'If you can plant something and then you don't have to go back for four or five years, that would save so much money, so much labor, everything,' he said. 'That's what makes it enticing.' His experience reflects a growing trend among farmers seeking alternatives to annual crops that are vulnerable to climate shocks.
Kernza Offers Soil Benefits But Faces Yield and Market Challenges
David Mueller, a farmer in Halstead, Kansas, has planted nearly 100 acres of Kernza since 2018. The perennial grain, similar to native grasses in Europe and western Asia, requires planting only once every few years and uses about a third of the fertilizer that wheat needs. Its deep root systems can reach several feet underground, helping it withstand drought and absorb excess water from heavy rain while sequestering more carbon than annual crops.
Despite these advantages, Kernza farmers currently achieve yields of only about 20 to 40 percent of what they might get from wheat. Establishing a Kernza field is also difficult because it must compete with weeds in its first year. In the U.S., Kernza was cultivated on just 3,511 acres in 2025, compared with 37.2 million acres of wheat harvested or planted in 2025-26.
Experts Warn Soil Degradation Could Cost Trillions Without Change
Laura van der Pol, The Land Institute's lead soil ecologist, said incorporating perennials into agriculture may be the only option to preserve soil for future generations. 'It's hard to imagine getting to a place where we could have soil and abundant food without a perennial option,' she said. Annual cultivation strains soil formation, which takes thousands of years, and rapidly degrades farmland, according to experts.
A 2024 United Nations report warns that soil degradation could cause more than $20 trillion in losses to the global economy by 2050. While pilot programs for perennial grains are underway worldwide, federal funding for these crops remains lacking, and farmers receive bridge payments and other assistance for traditional crops. The value of a farmer's land and loans are directly connected to what they grow, making the transition to perennials economically challenging.
Ilaha iyo xuquuqda sawirka
Sawir: ABC News US Xigasho
