Improvement of field pennycress germplasm for use as a winter annual cover and oilseed crop [Project]

Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is a winter annual oilseed crop currently under investigation for use as a feedstock for biodiesel production. The objectives of this project are 1) breed pennycress lines that express early maturity, excellent winterhardiness, large basal width, and high seed yield, 2) utilize genomic selection to identify the best genotypes and crossing parents using models based on biparental populations and populations derived from multiple crosses and 3) assess water use efficiency of field pennycress. It is hypothesized that breeding can improve pennycress germplasm and make it more desirable as an over-wintering cover crop. Cover crops can contribute to greater farm productivity and also have many environmental benefits. The primary deliverable will be an advanced seed supply that can be considered for further testing and possible germplasm and/or variety release. More information about this project will be available during the summer of 2014. Please contact Jeff Berg if you have any questions.