Bioenergy research focusing on oil-rich pennycress

pjstar.com (Peoria Journal Star)
By STEVE TARTER (starter@pjstar.com) of the Journal Star
Posted Apr 30, 2012 @ 09:15 PM

Public can get a look at alternative energy crop at WIU Field Day.

MACOMB — Win Phippen doesn't spend as much time researching milkweed as he used to. The director of the Alternative Crops Research program at Western Illinois University is focused on another crop these days.

"Bioenergy - that's where the (research) money is," he said.
While he still fields inquiries about the virtues of milkweed for the cosmetics industry and as a fiber for pillows, Phippen said that it's pennycress that's been his focus for the last several years.
Pennycress is a weed that's building a following in central Illinois because of its rich oil content, twice what is contained in a soybean plant.

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