Who Is Developing Pennycress?

Pennycress as an energy crop has been the subject of research and development by the USDA, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and its New Crops Research Unit for the past 10 years. Their scientists sampled wild populations to collect basic biological information and evaluate its potential as an energy crop. Seed yields, oil content and oil chemistry all indicated that this common winter weed could be made into a valuable energy crop with significant environmental, social and economic benefits.

USDA planted the first test plots to collect biological and agronomic data. Over the years test plots quickly grew to test fields where planting and harvesting methods using conventional farming equipment was used to produce seeds for experimental processing. Extraction of seed oil and its conversion to biodiesel in the USDA pilot plant demonstrated that Pennycress could produce ASTM quality biofuels.

Western Illinois University (WIU) is collaborating with the USDA on Pennycress agronomic research. It also conducts a plant breeding program to develop improved genetic varieties of Pennycress for energy production. Both the USDA and WIU now have significant, funded research programs on Pennycress and are involving scientists from around the country.

Pennycress Partners Inc, (PPI) was formed by farmers from the Ag Guild of Illinois, a 50-farmer group that controls more than 130,000 acres in Central Illinois. PPI is working to develop commercial farming of Pennycress as a dedicated energy crop. The company executes contracts with interested farmers to produce and deliver Pennycress seeds that can be sold for processing.

Arvens Technology Inc. (ATI) was established to develop and market energy products from Pennycress seeds. It has research agreements with USDA and WIU and is also working with other organizations on the industrial-scale processing of Pennycress seeds, oil and presscake biomass for energy products. ATI has an agreement to purchase the Pennycress crop from PPI for processing and marking.