Leading in the discovery and application of sustainable solutions and improving environmental, human, plant and animal health is a core imperative of the University of Minnesota’s Elevate Extraordinary 2030 strategic plan.

George Annor, associate professor in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, is tackling this goal by testing how the quality of cereal grains including wheat, corn and beans, are affected by breeding and agronomical practices, among others.

The power of cold plasma

The plasma Annor works with has nothing to do with blood, he explains. 

Instead, he’s interested in how plasma-activated water can benefit food processing, crop germination and more. He produces it by putting air into a chamber and applying electricity to it, which he then combines with water.

“When we make plasma-activated water, we see significant changes like producing hydrogen peroxide so the water becomes acidic,” he says. “Microorganisms don’t like acidic environments so it can be used to improve seed crop germination.”

Generating plasma-activated water also makes nitrates, a compound that plants need, so supplying plants with this water can act as a fertilizer. Annor is trying to produce the best amount and quality of these nitrates.

This type of water also has benefits when incorporating starches, a source of energy, in foods.

“For some food applications, we want starch in the food, but don’t want it to thicken in water,” says Annor. “In soup, you might want starches to thicken, but you wouldn’t want them to thicken an infant formula because it would make it difficult for a child to eat.”

Currently, food scientists use lots of chemicals to prevent starches from thickening, resulting in chemical waste that harms the environment, but using plasma-activated water eliminates these downsides.

A versatile grain

Annor is also involved in the University’s Forever Green Initiative that is developing and improving winter-hardy annual and perennial crops that protect soil and water, while driving new economic opportunities for growers, industry and communities across Minnesota.

Annor particularly researches Kernza®, a versatile grain that’s being developed at the University.

Kernza is a sustainable grain because unlike an annual crop like corn, it is perennial, so farmers have to use less fertilizer, labor and time for multiple harvests.

Another advantage is its deep roots, which grow up to 10 feet within a year or two.

“That is significant because all that root mass helps hold the soil together and prevent soil erosion,” says Annor. “This deep root means Kernza can use more nitrogen, which can help reduce underground water pollution.”

Aside from being good for the ground and environment, Kernza could be good for humans as food.

“Right now, we’re looking at how we can use Kernza in any food product and have successfully used it in a snack,” he says. “If we can create a market demand for it, farmers could use it, which would help protect their soil.”

Annor encourages anyone interested in some of the research to reach out to see how they can work together to raise funds. 

“We need a collective effort to make some of these things work,” he says.

Learn more about the Forever Green Initiative.