In the U.S., common oilseed crops like canola, soybeans, and sunflowers are used for biodiesel, but researchers at Kansas State University have made a breakthrough that could make pennycress and camelina, two cover crops,another source for better biodiesel.

A team led by Timothy Durrett, a biochemist, and Linah Alkotami used advanced techniques to boost a special type of oil called acetyl-triacylglycerols (acetyl-TAGs) in pennycress and camelina. This oil is great for biodiesel because it works well in cold temperatures and has low thickness.

The team’s results were published in the respected Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Oilseed engineering has been tough, but Durrett’s team succeeded in getting up to 98% acetyl-TAGs in camelina and pennycress, much higher than previous levels.

The next step is to keep studying these plants to understand what other changes are happening. Farmers are excited about this because pennycress can grow through the winter, allowing for planting in fall and harvesting in spring. While most of this research has been done in the northern U.S., Durrett hopes these crops will spread nationwide.

Durrett is also working with food scientist Umut Yucel to explore how the oils from these plants can be used in the food industry, as well as in products like emulsifiers and lubricants.