Named for its coin-shaped, oil-rich seedpods, pennycress has colonized much of the globe as a common weed. But those oily seeds, unsuitable for human consumption, are an ideal crop for biodiesel and jet fuels. Read more in this article from the Washington State University Insider.

At a time when farmers are urgently seeking ways to maximize profit in their corn-soybean rotations, university researchers in Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin, along with a startup company in Missouri, are working to develop pennycress into a crop that could give farmers more dollars. The effort involves enhancing pennycress’ characteristics to make it a better oilseed for fuel, a more palatable feed for livestock and a viable cover crop that Midwest farmers can sandwich between corn harvest and soybean planting. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus.

Cover crops are an investment in soil health, but what if they paid off as a cash crop as well? Researchers at the University of Minnesota are aiming for just that as they shape pennycress into a suitable food and fuel product that can fit in with the typical upper Midwest crop rotation. Read more in this article from The Courier (Waterloo, Iowa).

If you’re looking for a cover crop that also can serve as a cash crop, then pennycress might be something to consider. This fall-planted, non-edible brassica can provide economic returns up to 990 pounds per acre, or 45-50 bushels per acre, with a seed oil content of 26-39%, says University of Minnesota Extension.