The team worked on developing and implementing a suite of agronomic management projects across the region to incorporate pennycress into the dominant corn and soybean rotation as well as into other high-value rotational crops. The team focused on:

• Developing regionally based agronomic management practices for establishing pennycress in grain corn systems.
• Quantifying soybean and pennycress yield trade-offs across soybean maturity groups (MG) and cropping systems.
• Developing weed and pest best management strategies that support pennycress integration in corn and soybean production systems.

As IPREFER was funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant program (Grant No. 2019-69012-29851), any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• Develop regionally based agronomic management practices for establishing pennycress in grain corn systems
• Complete Studies
• Yield Trade-offs Leveraging CRM and Desiccants
• Corn Residue Management
• Novel Seed Treatment for Improving Pennycress Performance
• Quantify Soybean and Pennycress Yield Trade-offs Across Soybean Maturity Group and Cropping Systems
• Establish weed and pest best management strategies that support pennycress integration in corn and soybean production systems
• Define a set of tools for integrated weed management
• Monitor Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera Glycines, SCN) in the cropping rotation

Leadership

• Yesuf Mohammed, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities

Collaborators & Graduate Students

• Chris Aulbach, CoverCress, Inc.
• Mark Bernards, USDA, ARS (Lead: Weed Science)
• Jason Bond, Southern Illinois University
• Senyu Chen, University of Minnesota
• Ahmad M. Fakhoury, Southern Illinois University
• Russ Gesch, USDA-ARS
• Brad Glenn, CoverCress, Inc.
• Alex Hard, University of Minnesota
• Nicholas Heller, Illinois State University
• Kaveh Javanshirjavid, Southern Illinois University (Graduate Student)
• Gregg Johnson, University of Minnesota
• Jason Lindbom, Illinois State University
• Alexander (Alex) Lindsey, The Ohio State University
• Mary Phippen, Western Illinois University
• Win Phippen, Western Illinois University
• Samantha S. Wells, University of Minnesota (Co-PI)
• Tad Wesley, Western Illinois University
• Randy Wright, Illinois State University

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience

• Claire Biehl, (2020), University of Minnesota
• Stephanie Castillo (2023), University of Texas, San Antonio
• Jayda Collins (2023,) University of Minnesota
• Amanda Darcy 2023,) Illinois State University
• Abigail DeJong (2024), Geneva College
• Ariana Gonch (2023), Castleton University
• Jack Kelly (2022), Notre Dame University
• Ann Kennedy (2023), Hamilton College
• Mila Kocic (2024), Emory University
• Cori Lee (2020), The Ohio State University
• Adalee Lynch (2024), Johns Hopkins University
• Caleb Mahr (2023), Western Illinois University
• Dara Mandell (2024), Tulane University
• Jnnea Nobal (2024), Western Illinois University
• Andrea Padilla (2024) Western Illinois University
• Jayleen Perez (2023), University of Central Florida
• Ross Sousa (2021), University of Maine
• Audrianna Torrey 2023), Lindenwood University
• Kyle Verhoff (2021), The Ohio State University
• Raymond Wilmes (2021), Iowa State University
• Tommy Wood (2021), Western Illinois University

Alumni

• Jeff Bender, CoverCress (2019-2021)
• Julija Cubins, University of Minnesota (PostDoc)
• Rashmi Dangol,  Illinois State University (Graduate Student 2022-2024)
• Cody A. Hoerning, University of Minnesota (Graduate Student 2019-2021)
• Nasib Koirala, The Ohio State University (Graduate Student 2020-2022)
• Ethan Morales, USDA-ARS
• Leonardo Rocha, Southern Illinois University (Graduate Student 2021-2024)
• Pamela Tas, University of Wisconsin-Platteville
• Bethany Wohrley, Illinois State University (Graduate Student 2020-2022)