Agronomy / Crop Management
We are focused on creating and deploying a suite of agronomic management projects across the region that will result in pennycress being incorporated into the predominant corn and soybean rotation and in a range of high-valued rotational crops. We will:
- Develop regionally-based agronomic management practices for establishing pennycress in grain corn systems.
- Quantify soybean and pennycress yield trade-offs across soybean maturity group (MG) and cropping systems.
- Establish weed and pest best management strategies that support pennycress integration in corn and soybean production systems.
Research Goal: Robust Pennycress Agronomic Practices
- Develop regionally-based agronomic management practices for establishing pennycress in grain corn systems
- Yield Trade-offs levering CRM and desiccants
- Corn Residue Management
- Novel Seed Treatment for Improve 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
- Tools for Integrated Weed Management
- Monitor Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera Glycines, SCN) in the cropping rotation
Team
Leadership
- Yesuf Mohammed, USDA-ARS
Collaborators & Graduate Students
- Chris Aulbach, CoverCress, Inc.
- Mark Bernards, USDA, ARS (Lead: Weed Science)
- Jason Bond, Southern Illinois Univ.
- Senyu Chen, Univ. of Minnesota
- Julija Cubins, Univ. of Minnesota (PostDoc)
- Rashmi Dangol, Illinois State Univ. (Grad. Student)
- Ahmad M. Fakhoury, Southern Illinois Univ.
- Russ Gesch, USDA-ARS (Lead: Northern CRM)
- Brad Glenn, CoverCress, Inc.
- Alex Hard, Univ. of Minnesota
- Nicholas Heller, Illinois State Univ.
- Kaveh Javanshirjavid, Southern Illinois Univ. (Grad. Student)
- Gregg Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota
- Jason Lindbom, Illinois State Univ.
- Alexander (Alex) Lindsey, The Ohio State Univ.
- Ethan Morales, USDA-ARS
- Leonardo Rocha, Southern Illinois Univ. (Grad. Student)
- Pamela Tas, Univ. of Wisconsin-Platteville
- Samantha S. Wells, Univ. of Minnesota (Co-PI)
- Tad Wesley, Western Illinois Univ.
- Randy Wright, Illinois State Univ.
2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience
- Stephanie Castillo, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Univ. of Texas, San Antonio
- Jayda Collins 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Univ. of Minnesota
- Amanda Darcy (Illinois State Univ.), 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience (Mentor: Alex Lindsey)
- Ariana Gonch (Castleton Univ.), 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience (Mentor: Samantha Wells)
- Jack Kelly, 2022 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Notre Dame Univ.
- Ann Kennedy, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Hamilton College
- Cori Lee, 2020 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, The Ohio State Univ.
- Caleb Mahr, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Western Illinois Univ.
- Jayleen Perez, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Univ. of Central Florida
- Ross Sousa, 2021 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Western Illinois Univ.
- Audrianna Torrey, 2023 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Lindenwood Univ.
- Kyle Verhoff, 2021 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Ohio State Univ.
- Raymond Wilmes, 2021 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Iowa State Univ.
- Bethany Wohrley, Illinois State Univ. (Grad. Student)
- Tommy Wood, 2021 Integrated Plant Systems – Undergraduate Research Experience, Western Illinois Univ.
Alumni
- Jeff Bender, CoverCress (2019-2021)
- Cody A. Hoerning, Univ. of Minnesota (Grad. Student 2019-2021)
- Nasib Koirala, The Ohio State Univ. (Grad. Student 2020-2022)
- Bethany Wohrley, Illinois State University (Grad. Student 2020-2022)