Pennycress
Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a winter annual oilseed showing great promise as a new crop for growers to adopt that will keep the soil in continuous living cover, protect water quality and increase profitability.
The seeds of field pennycress are oil-rich (>30%) and contain specific fatty acids that can be used for select purposes such as healthy edible oils, biodegradable plastic packaging materials, lubricants, and biofuels. The seed meal that remains after oil processing also has important uses as highly nutritional food and animal feed.
Winter Annual Oilseed Research Reports
Winter Camelina
Winter camelina (Camelina sativa), which can be grown in the Midwest in conjunction with traditional summer crops like soybean and corn, is showing exciting potential as a new cash cover crop that can provide both ecosystem services and economic benefits to farmers in the Upper Midwest.
Winter camelina can be sown after harvesting crops like spring wheat or silage corn; or interseeded during summer in field corn, soybean, or sunflower.
Reflections on the 2023-2024 Piloting of Winter Camelina