Western Illinois University (WIU) alternative crop research has been awarded a $10 million federal grant to commercialize pennycress as a cash cover crop for biofuel. “Integration of pennycress into existing corn-soybean rotations extends the growing season on established cropland,” said WIU Agriculture Professor Win Phippen. He noted integrating pennycress as a winter-annual cash crop will impact farmers’ bottom line, decrease soil erosion and nutrient losses, support pollinators, suppress weeds, diversify the country’s energy sources and boost rural economies. (FarmWeekNow)