MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCKWHEAT

The long-term goals of this project are to develop and release a suite of publicly available common (CBW) and Tartary buckwheat (TBW) varieties that address stakeholder-identified characteristics related to ecosystem services, grain yield and agronomic traits, nutrition, flavor and diverse end-uses, and cover cropping. Our proposed research will address the needs of organic farmers of all scales by developing nutritious varieties capable of diversifying their cropping rotations and market opportunities while providing ecosystem services such as increased habitat for pollinators, enhanced weed suppression benefits, and soil stabilization.Objective 1. Develop new varieties of common and Tartary buckwheat with enhanced traits related to agronomy, yield, ecosystem services, and/or health and nutritive value.Objective 2. Determine agronomic practices that maximize a suite of critical ecosystem services in organic production systems from common and Tartary buckwheat varieties.Objective 3. Develop a diverse and innovative suite of flavorful, affordable, and nutritious common and Tartary buckwheat food products accessible to consumers from all income levels.Objective 4. Conduct value-chain and market assessments, and disseminate knowledge gained and products developed to stakeholders across communities, schools, and underserved populations through a wide-reaching Extension and outreach effort.