Oilseed pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a crop in the early stages of release for production in parts of the U.S. This crop has potential to act as a winter annual crop with seeds to be harvested and pressed for oil extraction and use in biofuels. Because it is planted in the fall, overwinters, and is harvested for grain in the spring/early summer, planting it in rotations with corn and soybeans has potential to minimize the time a field is without a living crop during the winter. As part of the Integrated Pennycress Research Enabling Farm & Energy Resilience (IPREFER) program funded by USDA-NIFA, the multi-institution group has been generating curricular materials that help highlight the utility of this crop. Be sure to check back to this page as more materials will be generated and posted!
Agriscience Resources:
- Pennycress staging guide (.ppt)
- Pennycress Staging Lab (.docx)
- Full-length publication in Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management Journal
- Connects plant growth stages to management decisions in the field. Lab also connects crop stage to growing degree day (GDD) accumulation, and if space allows, comparisons of how temperature affects crop stage and GDD accumulation.
- Agronomic production – OH (.ppt)
- Highlights experiences from Ohio on pennycress planting, growth, and harvest practices
- Seed Depth Lab (.docx)
- Allows students to compared small and large seeds to planting depth, and understand how/why depth of seed placement matters for emergence and growth.
- Seed Dormancy Lab (.docx)
- Allows students to observe how seed treatment affects germination of pennycress at varying points of domestication
- Seed Treatment Case Study (.ppt)
- Presentation highlights core aspects of Seed Science and Technology (i.e., dormancy, seed treatment and enhancements), and how these concepts were applied to increase pennycress germination and establishment.
4-H Project Book – Cover Crop Science (Illinois certified, pending national peer-review):
4-H Idea Starter – Crop Production (Ohio, Peer-reviewed):
