Agronomic and Culinary Value of Determinant Devyatka Buckwheat

Commodities

Practices

The Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society (NPSAS) Farm Breeding Network (FBN) promotes farmer-led participatory research by connecting farmers, agronomists, and end users to expand cropping options in northern-tier states. This project assesses the agronomic and culinary performance of Devyatka, a determinant buckwheat cultivar originally from Ukraine. Unlike traditional indeterminate types, Devyatka matures uniformly and earlier, enabling double-cropping and better soil protection in short-season climates.

Five certified-organic and regenerative farms in the Northern Plains will conduct trials comparing Devyatka with Koto buckwheat, the most widely grown cultivar in the region. The trials will evaluate yield, canopy closure, weed suppression, and milling quality. Culinary partners will review flour functionality and consumer acceptance of food products.

Participatory field days, conference presentations, and digital outreach will share results through NPSAS's Germinator magazine, eSprout newsletter, social media, and website. Expected outcomes include farmers and end-users determining that Devyatka buckwheat has acceptable performance and quality for their needs, expanding markets for gluten-friendly grains, and strengthening farmer-researcher collaboration.

By combining on-farm research with market development, this project advances NCR-SARE's mission to improve farm profitability, environmental quality, and quality of life through resilient, regionally adapted cropping systems.

Project Objectives

1. Evaluate the agronomic performance of the determinant Devyatka buckwheat on various northern organic farms by comparing yield, maturity, and weed suppression with the cultivar Koto.
2. Evaluate milling and culinary quality to assess suitability for value-added, gluten-friendly markets.
3. Engage farmers, processors, and bakers in participatory evaluation to identify preferred cultivars and end-use traits.
4. Distribute findings via field days, conferences, newsletters, and social media to inform regional producers and consumers.
5. Enhance the Farm Breeding Network model by documenting collaborative methods that improve farmer capacity for participatory research.