Thlaspi arvense L.
Field Pennycress
Field pennycress is a foetid, hairless annual plant growing up to 60 cm tall with upright branches. It has arrow-shaped, narrow, and toothed stem leaves. The plant blooms between May and July with racemes or spikes of small white flowers that have 4 sepals and 4 longer petals. It produces round, flat, winged pods with a deep apical notch, measuring 1 cm across, containing small brown-black seeds. The common name 'pennycress' is derived from the shape of the seeds resembling an old English penny.
Details
Brassicales
Brassicaceae
Thlaspi
The seeds of field pennycress have a high oil content, with a significant amount of erucic acid (>300g per kg of its total seed oil DM). The plant also contains glucosinolates, making it unsuitable for human consumption. The oil is rich in fatty acids and has potential use as a biofuel.
Field pennycress is used primarily for biofuel production due to its high oil content and suitability as a winter cover crop. It can also be used as livestock feed due to its fast growth under cold conditions and high protein content. However, it is not suitable for human consumption due to its bitter taste and the presence of glucosinolates. It has been used in integrated weed management strategies to suppress aggressive spring-germinating weeds.
May to July
Fall (September to October)
40 to 80 cm
White, lavender or pink
Disturbed areas such as croplands, fallow fields, roadsides, railroads, gardens plots, weedy meadows, and waste areas. Native to temperate regions of Eurasia and naturalized in North America.
Info
Pannon Flora Ltd. was founded on December 13, 1999, by Gábor Janik, who retains 95% ownership. Janik holds an MSc in Horticulture from the University of Horticultural Sciences (1986) and an Advanced Professional English Certification from the College of International Trade (1990). The company specializes in bird feed production and export, primarily serving markets in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, alongside cultivating and distributing imported/exported horticultural seeds. It maintains exclusive partnerships with JOEUN Seed (South Korea) and Takii Europe (Japan), a leader in professional seed breeding and production. Pannon Flora collaborates with certification bodies such as NÉBIH (National Food Chain Safety Office), MERT Kontroll, and SGS Hungary to ensure compliance and quality. The company works with approximately 400 Hungarian growers, ranging from small-scale producers (under 5 hectares) to mid-sized farms and large-scale agricultural enterprises. This profile emphasizes agribusiness expertise, technical partnerships, and operational scalability tailored to international client needs.
Tenders
Expert guidance for current/future CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) subsidy applications
