Tritordeum: a sustainable, healthy and innovative Limburg crop

In 2018, it was suddenly a hype in the Netherlands: bread made from the grain tritordeum. The popularity arose when it turned out that famous Dutch cyclists had breakfast with bread baked from this 'Spanish grain'. At the same time, Wynand Vogels in Schinnen started experimenting with this crop in his field. What has happened since? Kiempunt spoke to Wiro Nillesen, 'chain director' of the Kollenberg spelt growers, and discovered that Limburg tritordeum has a promising future.

Sustainable and healthy

Tritordeum is a Mediterranean grain developed in the late 1970s by a group of researchers at the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (IAS) in Cordoba, Spain. The crop originated from a natural cross between durum wheat (Triticum durum) and wild barley (Hordeum chilense). Tritordeum has been on the market since 2013 and is considered a sustainable crop for several reasons. Nillesen explains why: "It is a robust grain that grows well in poor soils. It can withstand drought and high temperatures, important in times of climate change. The crop also uses water efficiently and is more resistant to many fungi and diseases, which can minimize the use of crop protection products. In 2018, tritordeum was voted the most sustainable ingredient at the Sustainable Food Awards Amsterdam."

In terms of health, tritordeum also scores highly. It is high in fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, protein, antioxidants such as lutein and less indigestible gluten. It is not suitable for people with celiac disease, but is appreciated by consumers looking for a lower gluten content.

Bread made from tritordeum has a specific flavor, a golden yellow color and a more crispy crust than other varieties. Bakers benefit from a shorter kneading time than with wheat and spelt. But it doesn't stop at bread. Tritordeum can be used for a wide range of grain-based foods and beverages, including cookies, cakes, pasta, pizza and beer.

Introduction in the Netherlands

Wiro Nillesen stood as chain director of the Kollenberger spelt growers earlier partly at the cradle of the spelt hype in the Netherlands. Together with Frank van Eerd of Grainlabs and the Bisschopsmolen in Maastricht, he brought tritordeum to the Netherlands. "We were looking for an innovative crop that would suit the increasingly dry and hot summers," he explains. "Frank Van Eerd contacted Fred Brouns, professor of nutrition at Maastricht University, who mentioned the Spanish grain tritordeum as an option. Coincidentally, Van Eerd's brother was just in Spain for a training camp with the Jumbo-Visma cycling team, and he took the grain to the Netherlands for the first time." Baker Van Eerd successfully baked his first tritordeum bread with it. Nillesen then had more tritordeum brought from Spain so other bakers could experiment.

Experimenting with Cultivation

After Van Eerd's positive experience, arable farmer Wynand Vogels from Schinnen started growing the new crop on his land. In 2018, Vogels sowed 3 hectares of tritordeum. "By growing tritordeum in Limburg, we respond to the increasingly hot and dry climate in South Limburg and reduce CO2 emissions from transport from Spain," said Nillesen. Unfortunately, the first harvest in August 2019 was disappointing. The quality was insufficient and there were still many questions to be answered.

"The first crop failed, but after the harvest something special happened. Wheat varieties die off after harvesting, but we saw that the tritordeum grew again, until it was 45 cm high in the field again in November. We think the second crop can serve as high-quality, protein-rich animal feed. Also, thanks to second growth, there is no need to sow green manure to restore the soil and, if the field is in a hilly area, there is less erosion from rain in the fall."

Falls and rises

With these benefits of a second harvest and increasing demand for tritordeum in the Netherlands, there was no reason to give up after the first failed harvest. Vogels took up the challenge with the new grain again in 2020. Together with his colleague Huub Diederen from Geleen, he sowed 4 hectares of tritordeum, saying, "Growing a new crop always involves trial and error, but I remain positive about the opportunities that tritordeum can offer." The result in August was a harvest of 20 tons with good baking quality and good yield.

Fair pricing

Important to Nillesen and the growers is the principle of fair pricing in the marketing of the tritordeum. "As before with the spelt, for the tritordeum a chain is built with farmers, miller and bakers, where each partner gets a fair compensation for their contribution without making the product too expensive for the consumer."

The first good harvest of Limburg tritordeum from 2020, like the tritordeum that still comes from Spain, is milled by the Commandeursmolen in Mechelen. The grains then go as flour and meal to artisan bakers and industry, such as wholesaler Rob Peters from Heerlen. At the Bishop's Mill, several breads, cookies and waffles are baked with tritordeum, and soon a major national retail chain will market tritordeum bread.

Beer brewers are also showing interest in the grain. Vechtdal Brouwerij in Dalfsen already brewed an IPA, the Bisschopsmolen the 'Eigenweizen Tritordeum Lager' and Brouwerij Basanina the 'Coupure Blond'. Gulpener also plans to work with it. Pasta Pura in Beek has already done tests with a tritordeum paste. At De Reusch in Schimmert, they are developing a soft drink with tritordeum. It is called 'Frisch' and is made not only with locally produced grain but also with fruit from the Heuvelland region.

The future for tritordeum

This year the cultivation of tritordeum in Limburg will be expanded. "The growers are already achieving a yield that is sufficient to continue with it. The Limburg tritordeum is sold in the Netherlands and Belgium, but still needs to grow in volume. Currently there is not enough Limburg tritordeum and the demand is still supplemented with Spanish or Italian tritordeum," said Nillesen. Arable farmers Vogels and Diederen are therefore opting for a cultivation area four times larger than last year for 2021.

In addition, Nilessen hopes to reach more artisan bakers in the near future. "We notice that the artisan baker does not switch as quickly as the industry. The innovation and product development is at a higher level in the industry. That's a shame, because the artisan baker is much more accessible to consumers. We hope that, for example, cooperation with the Bakery Institute in Zaandam will make it easier for these bakers to start up. They train new bakers and can publicize the grain and teach bakers the right technique for baking with tritordeum."

At last, there are plans for more research. Experiments with organic cultivation of tritordeum are taking place on a small scale, and farmers hope to gain a better understanding of the potential of the second crop. Clear information on nitrogen efficiency is also still lacking. "We are in contact with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) to do further research. They will come and look at the farmers' fields this spring. Hopefully we will find available funds so we can further investigate the potential of this innovative and sustainable crop."

Reading more about this topic? Then also check out our interview with Frank van Eerd about the Bishop Mill.