Stinkweed Could Be An Answer to Cleaner Fuel
Most people, especially farmers have battled with stinkweed for years trying to get rid of it. But, one farmer in Vermont is actually setting aside a whole acre of land to purposely grow field pennycress, or stinkweed! And, other farmers are joining in to plant this aggressive weed.
Several upstate New York farms will be including stinkweed as one of their crops in a program launched by Innovation Fuels Inc., an Albany company that produces bio-diesel. The rise in cost of items used in bio-diesel such as soybeans has researchers searching for a more economical product to use.
The tiny seeds found in stinkweed are 35% oil! They’re easy to harvest, grow during any season and produce a very high yield for each acre of plants. Other weeds are being studied for their use in a cleaner fuel as well. Most weeds can grow anywhere in any conditions and grow very fast making them a perfect choice for the high demand of fuel.
If the plantings prove successful, Innovation Fuels Inc. plans on expanding to include even more stinkweed farms next winter. While stinkweed has been around for many years, most of the information on the plant is how to get rid of it. Research will need to be done to find the best way to see huge success in purposely growing the weed!