Winter-type oilseed pennycress crop staging guide

Oilseed pennycress (Thalspi arvense L.) is a crop that has undergone domestication tier use as a new oilseed option in parts of the United States for use in biofuel and livestock feed production but does not yet have management resources such as a growth staging guide. Winter types of this crop may have utility in existing summer annual rotations throughout much of the U.S. Midwest by growing during the fall/winter fallow period. This guide contains an adaptation of the Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und Chemische Industrie (BBCH)-staging method used in other oilseeds and integrates management considerations and key physiological development stages for this new crop. The implementation of substages within a predominant phase of growth in this guide is more reflective of the Feekes growth staging system for small grains with which U.S. Midwest producers commonly use. Utilization of a common staging system for winter-type pennycress will help with development of future management guides and pesticide labeling practices and will help connect producers and consultants to ensure management practices are employed at the appropriate growth stages.