Announcing the stinkweed revolution! Well maybe not yet. You’re probably asking yourself what is stinkweed, is it legal, and how is it a renewable energy source?

Yes it is legal and stinkweed or its Latin name, Thlaspi arvense is listed by plants.gov (the definitive national plant database) introduced to North America from Europe as an herb that is currently found in every state (except Hawaii, Alabama, and Puerto Rico).

Also known as field pennycress, plants.gov identifies stinkweed as, ‘weedy or invasive.’ Stinkweed is in the mustard family and each plant produces many seeds during its winter growing season; two characteristics that drew researchers at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research and Innovation Fuels interest.

Researchers have noticed that stinkweed seeds, when crushed, produce 36% oil. Additionally, due to its ‘weedy’ characteristics, it can yield 2,000 pounds of seeds per acre. My desktop calculator tells me that equals about 720 pounds of oil or about 86 gallons of raw unprocessed stinkweed seed oil per acre. Innovation Fuels would then process the plant oil and add it to their biodiesel mix.

Innovation Fuels of Albany NY currently produces biodiesel fuel from soybeans and distributes globally. The biodiesel they currently produce is for heating, transportation, and electricity applications. Innovation Fuels and Morrisville State College in NY are working together on an innovative project to convert stinkweed into a biofuel for similar applications.

Other benefits of this new plant relate to its growing season, winter. Winter is when many farmers are preparing for the spring and summer growing seasons. Stinkweed cultivation would allow farmers to grow and harvest an off season crop that doesn’t interfere with their food (corn or soybean) crops, thus avoiding the food vs. fuel pitfall of other biodiesels and corn ethanol fuels.

Similar to woody biomass, use of stinkweed for energy could be categorized as a low carbon endeavor. Energy from stinkweed would recycle atmosphere-biosphere carbon rather than add fossil fuel carbon (previously stored geologic carbon) to the atmosphere.

Although there are many promising features to this potential biofuel source its not all rosy. Some farmers do grow winter crops such as winter wheat which may bring the food vs. fuel issue back into play if stinkweed production becomes large scale and widespread.

Also, stinkweed is an official weed and this draws some concern. Federal, state, and county governments spend millions on weed control and eradication. Weeds can alter ecosystem composition, processes, and change habitat…things that are not positive attributes.