Pennycress is an alternative cover crop for farmers in the Midwest. It not only provides cover crops services, like erosion control and providing pollen for pollinators, but it serves as a cash crop in its second season. The seeds have oil which can be used in biodiesel, bioplastics and as a source for inexpensive plant-based proteins.
Pennycress plots in their rosette stage will remain dormant for months under the snow and survive the extreme cold Midwest temperatures. The picture on the right is the same field 7 days after the first picture was taken after a snowfall. Pennycress can withstand snow and extreme cold (-30oF) and still provide an excellent cash crop the following year.
Pennycress plants come out of their dormant stage after the snow melts and enter their reproductive phase where they will first flower, and then set seed. These seeds are extremely oil rich with 29% - 40% oil (on average) and can be used as a source of oil for renewable diesel.
Newswise — October 06, 2022 – To help protect the health of soil, one of the first methods farmers might turn to are planting cover crops in their fields. The October 6th Sustainable, Secure Food Blog identifies several ways pennycress is a great alternative to traditional cover crops.
The benefits of the use of cover crops on agricultural land have been known for decades. However, the total acreage using these crops is extremely small. The main reason is that cover crops generally don’t turn a financial profit, so it is costly for farms to implement this great resource.
According to blogger Zenith Tandukar, pennycress bridges the gap between harvest for one year through to planting in the second year. While it grows, it actively provides benefits like other cover crops. It protects the soil against erosion, nutrient leaching, and early season weeds. It also acts as an attractive option for pollinators in early spring when other flowers are rare.
While pennycress serves as a living cover on otherwise fallow croplands, it also produces oil-rich seeds! The crops also can be used to make bioplastics and is an inexpensive source of plant-based proteins. With proper infrastructure and supply chain optimization, using pennycress as a cover crop followed by harvest can substantially increase farm profits for US farmers.
Pennycress has enormous potential in the realm of sustainable agricultural intensification such that farmers use the same amount of land for more output, all while helping the farmer’s farm profits, protecting the environment, and promoting soil health.
To read the entire blog, visit: https://sustainable-secure-food-blog.com/2022/10/07/why-is-pennycress-a-good-cover-crop/
About us: This blog is sponsored and written by members of the American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. Members are researchers and trained, certified professionals in the areas of growing the world’s food supply while protecting the environment. Members work at universities, government research facilities, and private businesses across the United States and the world.
MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact detailsArticle Multimedia
Credit: Zenith Tandukar
Caption: Pennycress is an alternative cover crop for farmers in the Midwest. It not only provides cover crops services, like erosion control and providing pollen for pollinators, but it serves as a cash crop in its second season. The seeds have oil which can be used in biodiesel, bioplastics and as a source for inexpensive plant-based proteins.
Credit: Zenith Tandukar
Caption: Pennycress plots in their rosette stage will remain dormant for months under the snow and survive the extreme cold Midwest temperatures. The picture on the right is the same field 7 days after the first picture was taken after a snowfall. Pennycress can withstand snow and extreme cold (-30oF) and still provide an excellent cash crop the following year.
Credit: Zenith Tandukar
Caption: Pennycress plants come out of their dormant stage after the snow melts and enter their reproductive phase where they will first flower, and then set seed. These seeds are extremely oil rich with 29% - 40% oil (on average) and can be used as a source of oil for renewable diesel.
RSS