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The Western Illinois University School of Agriculture's annual Pennycress Field Day is slated from 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, May 3. Pennycress is being developed for off-season production of bio-fuels and industrial products. According to Win Phippen, a researcher and faculty member in the School of Ag, the event will consist of a guided tour through the pennycress plots (pictured above) located at the Agriculture Field Laboratory near WIU's Macomb campus.
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WIU Pennycress Field Day May 3 to Provide Producers with Learning Opportunity

April 18, 2012

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MACOMB, IL -- Local and regional producers in or near western Illinois will have the chance to learn more about the exciting new crop of field pennycress, which is being developed for off-season production of bio-fuels and industrial products.

According to Win Phippen, a researcher and faculty member in the Western Illinois University School of Agriculture, Pennycress Field Day 2012 is slated from 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, May 3 at the Agriculture Field Laboratory near WIU's Macomb campus. He said the School of Agriculture established the annual field day to introduce a new winter annual crop field pennycress to local and regional producers.

"Due to the unseasonably warm weather this spring, the annual field pennycress plot tour has been moved to the first week of May. Normally, we host it closer to the end of May," Phippen noted. "Researchers, along with industry representatives, will be present to discuss this very unique short season crop. Those who attend will be able to see planting date studies; winter and spring variety trials; planting methods; winter and spring nitrogen treatments; and results from the soybean crop-rotation study."

The WIU 2012 Pennycress Field Day is open free to the public, no registration is required and it will be held rain or shine. As Phippen mentioned, the Pennycress Field Day event is set up as a guided tour through the plots. He said there will be time for photos and individual questions.

If you have any questions about the event, or would like to bring a large group, contact Phippen at (309) 298-1251.

Interested individuals can also get pennycress crop information via the Pennycress Resource Network (see www.wiu.edu/pennycress/), which Phippen said is a resource dedicated to information dissemination about the development, advancement and commercialization of field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.).

WIU's Agriculture Field Laboratory is located north of the Harry Mussatto Golf Course on Tower Road, just north of the WIU-Macomb campus. To see a map of the Macomb campus, including the location of the Mussatto Golf Course and the University Farm, visit www.wiu.edu/vpas/public_safety/parking/map.php.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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