INDUSTRIAL HEMP PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND MARKETING IN THE U.S.

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1021010
• Multistate No.: S-OLD 1084
• Project Start Date: Aug 29, 2019
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2023
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
202 HIMES HALL
BATON ROUGE,LA 70803-0100

Performing Department
School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences

Non Technical Summary
Industrial hemp was once a major agronomic crop in the United States. Hemp is broadly adapted basically having a global distribution. Historically, production has been limited to more northern temperate climates as the plant grows best between about 60ºF and 80ºF. It is the goal of this project to evaluate agronomic practices and currently available cultivars for use in Louisiana.

Animal Health Component

30%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

30%

Applied

30%

Developmental

40%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	1730	1060	100%

Knowledge Area
205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1730 - Hemp;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

industrial hemp

hemp

agronomy

Goals / Objectives
Agronomic practices -Determine effects on grain, fiber, or dual-purpose productivity as functions of * Cultivars - including suitability to growing conditions/regions. This entails evaluating and developing adapted, improved, monoecious cultivars for grain, fiber, dual purpose (grain + fiber), and essential oil production systems across the USA.
* Soil types
ÿ­ Suitability/adaptability to varied soil types, including disturbed and marginal soils
* Establishment practices
ÿ­ Conventional tillage vs. no-till establishment
ÿ­ Planting date ÿ¿ variety interactions
ÿ­ Planting rates (and depths) appropriate for fiber and seed crops
ÿ­ Row spacing
* Fertilization practices
ÿ­ Application rates
ÿ­ Application timing (especially relative to different production outcomes (grain, fiber, dual purpose (grain + fiber), and essential oil production systems)
* Canopy management
ÿ­ Utility/timing of topping during growing season to induce multiple tillering
* Water use and demand
ÿ­ Irrigation ÿ¿ variety interactions
ÿ­ Evapotranspiration and water demand
ÿ­ Timing availability effects
* Insect, pathogens, and other pest management.
ÿ­ Pest and pathogen sensitivity
ÿ­ Efficacy of seed fungicide and insecticide treatments
ÿ­ Effects of late-season fungicide applications on grain yield and quality
ÿ­ Economic thresholds for insect and other pest control
* Weed management
ÿ­ Pre/post emergence herbicides for weed control
ÿ­ Herbicide sensitivities
* Harvest and handling practices
ÿ­ Evaluate efficacy of field desiccation (e.g., using diquat or glyphosate) for grain crops
ÿ­ Develop best practice protocols for retting both in fiber and dual purpose hemp systems
ÿ­ Determine engineering needs for harvest, handling and processing
* Suitability for crop rotations
ÿ­ Evaluate potential for use in rotations or mixtures with other crop
ÿ­ Measure hemp performance and weed/insect/disease incidence following corn, cotton, soybean, tobacco, forage/pasture/range/fallow
ÿ­ Determine hempâ¿¿s effects on disease/pest cycles of other crops Crop quality - Assay plant material from above for corresponding fiber, grain and cannabinoid traits * Stem and stem fiber properties characterized on the macro, micro, and micron scale
* Grain quality, including oil and protein levels and fatty acid and amino acid profiles
* Other potential uses (e.g., as a biofuel feedstock, as chemical adsorbents or as fresh/ensiled forage crops for livestock)
* NIRS equation development for rapid quality assessment Genetics- Identify genes for advanced traits of interest including * Photoperiodicity
* Yield components - fibers, hurd, oil, protein, etc.
* Pest and pathogen resistance
* Abiotic stress (drought, cold, heat) resistance
* Relatedness of existing hemp varieties and genetic diversity Economics - Assess crop value when grown for different uses and in different cropping systems * Production budgets refined for specific end uses and production schemes (e.g., for biofuel feedstock, as part of crop rotation, as grain/fiber duel use vs. single use)
â¿¢Market scale/potential

Project Methods
1) Variety Trials. Variety trials will be conducted by members of the multi-state team. Initially, multiple cultivars with broad diversity of origin (U.S., Canada, Europe, etc.) will be evaluated under climatic and edaphic conditions typical for Louisiana.This work can be carried out in our greenhouse facility and on our research stations throughout the state.2) Management Trials. Management trials will be conducted by members of the multi-state team as needed using cultivars identified in the variety trials which show promise for Louisiana. Factors such as water availability, fertilizer use, and pesticide use will be evaluated.3) Economics and Markets. Members of the multi-state team will use data collected in steps 1 and 2 above to begin determining input costs and yields across a broad array of growing conditions, management systems and end uses. These will be used to futher develop and refine budgets to begin to determine the economic viability of hemp as a commodity crop in Louisiana. As a participant in the project, we will be required to comply with all applicable laws governing hemp in the state of Louisiana.As an applicant for Hatch Multistate and other USDA funds to be used on this project, my institution has certified to the following: Certification Regarding Industrial Hemp: When signing the application (electronic submission through Grants.gov), the Authorized Organizational Representative is providing certification that if they grow, cultivate, or market industrial hemp under the proposed project, the organization will comply with all terms and conditions set by the applicant's State agency regarding industrial hemp growth, cultivation, and marketing. For this purpose, the term "industrial hemp" includes the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part or derivative of such plant, including seeds of such plant, whether growing or not, that is used exclusively for industrial purposes (fiber and seed) with a tetrahydrocannabinols concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. The term "tetrahydrocannabinols" includes all isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers of tetrahydrocannabinols. Below is a summary of the current status of hemp in Louisiana.Abbreviated Summary• Industrial hemp is defined as the plant Cannabis sativa with a THC concentration of no more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.• The State's regulatory authority for production, processing, and transportation of industrial hemp is LDAF.• Louisiana did not participate in the industrial hemp pilot project program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and, therefore, no legal production can occur in the state until LDAF develops a plan that is approved by the USDA.• Industrial hemp producers, processors, and transporters must have an annually approved license from LDAF prior to participation.• Seed/plants (clones) must be obtained from a certified source and the seller must be approved by LDAF.• Production sites will be inspected at least once/season by LDAF before harvest is allowed.• Each CBD product for sale must be registered with LDH. CBD is currently not allowed at any level in food products.BackgroundIndustrial hemp is defined as the plant Cannabis sativa and any part of the plant, including the seeds and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of no more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis. Therapeutic cannabis/medical marijuana, also classified as C. sativa, is defined as plants with THC concentrations greater than 0.3 percent and remain illegal in Louisiana except for the two licensed growers for therapeutic use (LSU AgCenter and SU University AgCenter).Federal ActionThe Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill, Section 10113) directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue regulations and guidance to implement a program for the commercial production of industrial hemp in the United States. USDA is in the process of establishing Federal regulations to include specific guidelines for the submission of each State's management plan. USDA's intention is to issue regulations as soon as Fall of 2019 to accommodate the 2020 planting season.Currently (during 2019) and until the new USDA guidelines are implemented, all States, Tribes, and institutions of higher education previously approved for industrial hemp production can continue to operate under authorities of the 2014 Farm Bill. Louisiana did not participate in the pilot program established in the 2014 Farm Bill and, therefore, we are not authorized to participate in hemp production until Louisiana's plan is approved by the USDA.Louisiana Legislation and Current RulesHouse Bill 491 by Representative Clay Schexnayder was signed into law by Governor John Bell Edwards on June 6, 2019. This legislation recognizes industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity in Louisiana and authorizes the cultivation, processing, and transportation of industrial hemp in Louisiana in accordance with the Farm Bill of 2018. The law requires the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) to promulgate rules and regulations for the cultivation, processing, and transportation of industrial hemp. In addition, as required by the 2018 Farm Bill, LDAF must create a state plan to monitor and regulate the production of industrial hemp that shall be approved by the Louisiana House and Senate Committees on Agriculture and the USDA before the production of industrial hemp may begin in the state. This plan shall be submitted to the USDA no later than November 1, 2019.Any person desiring to work in the hemp industry in Louisiana must apply for a license with LDAF. A fee will be associated with each application and shall not exceed $500.00. There are several classes of industrial hemp licenses that will be available to interested parties:1. An industrial hemp seed producer will be authorized to produce, transport and sell approved seeds to licensed industrial hemp growers and processors.2. A grower of industrial hemp will be authorized to cultivate, handle, and transport industrial hemp for the purpose of produce production such as fiber, flower extracts, seed oils, animal feeds, in Louisiana.3. A processor of industrial hemp will be authorized to handle, process, and transport industrial hemp in Louisiana.4. A contract carrier (an entity operating in intrastate commerce to transport or deliver industrial hemp for compensation) will be authorized to transport industrial hemp in Louisiana.Other State AgenciesThe Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is responsible for developing rules and regulations for industrial hemp-derived CBD products and shall provide oversight to the manufacturing, packaging, and labeling processes. The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) will promulgate rules related to the regulation of cannabidiol (CBD) product sales. Each business is required to have a permit from ATC for each location prior to CBD retail sale.Research ExemptionThe LSU AgCenter and the Southern UniversityAgCenter are authorized to cultivate, handle, and process industrial hemp and industrial hemp seeds for research and product development.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for the project is those individuals participating in the Louisiana hemp program. These individuals include farmers growing the crops as well as processors who are processing fiber and thoseextracting oils from hemp flowers and seed. Changes/Problems:We are encountering problems in growing hemp successfully in Louisiana. This was anticipated because, historically, hemp has been cultivated in more northern temperate climates. We will continue to collect as much germplasmas possible in an effort to identify varieties that will do well in Louisiana's subtropical climate. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Some initial effort was made add information to the LSU AgCenter Industrial Hemp webpage. February 17, 2020 - LSU Agcenter Parish Agent Industrial Hemp Training. November 13, 2019 - LSU AgCenter Industrial Hemp Informational Meeting; Alexandria, LA. Over 500 attendees. March 4, 2020 - Presentation on LSU Industrial Hemp to Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry Agents. Two M.Sc. students initiated their Industrial Hemp research Programs. One in January 2020 and one in June 2020 How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Yes through LSU AgCenter field agents as well as various presentations and meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to continue our participation in the multi-state project's field trials. In addition, several faculty members started research projects centered on best agronomic practices for hemp production in Louisiana. Once sufficient quantities of flower material can be harvested, chemical analyses of the essential oil extracts will begin. This data will be used in combination with genomic data also acquired at LSU in an attempt to identify varieties that will produce crops that will not go hot.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In late Fall 2020 and Spring of 2021, LSU contacted all registered Industrial Hemp vendors listed on the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry database, seeking small samples (~25 seed) of strains they were marketing in the state for 2020. Responses were received by about 2/3 of the vendors and samples from approximately½. Over 90% of the strains submitted were for essential oils. An initial sowing of this material was done in mid-March of 2021 in the greenhouse under 18/6 photoperiod. This was actually the second greenhouse sowing. An earlier one initiated in December 2019 made use of some donated fiber/grain hemp seed donated to LSU, but this prior sowing only had one strain that had poor germination. The second sowing also allowed a rough test of soil medium and seedling tray configurations (72 and 100 well trays vs 4 inch compostable pots). Our observation was that a premium potting mix that is specifically marketed to the hemp industry performed well, especially when combined with the 4 inch compostable pots. Seedlings were much more vigorous. Many of these plants were subsequently moved to a second greenhouse without lights at the end of August and harvested last week of September. Obviously way too long but did show what other issues may arise during greenhouse growth. Namely issues with white flies, powdery mildew and Fusarium head blight. A third sowing of hemp strains was initiated in early July under and 18:6 photoperiod for a period of 2 months. Lighting was removed first week of September. Plants received liquid fertilizer 12-12-12 on a biweekly basis. Plants were harvested in 3rd and 4th weeks of October. Approximately 40 different strains were grown. At maturity data on plant height, total fresh weight and powdery mildew reaction was taken. Floral material was separated and weighed. After drying, floral material dry weight and stalk dry weight was recorded to get some information on harvest index. It is anticipated that the floral material is to be later analyzed for cannabinoid and terpene profiles. Through participation in S1084, LSU also grew both the Grain/Fiber multistate trial being coordinated by the University of Kentucky and the Essential Oil trial being coordinated by the University of Oregon. With regards to each trial: Grain/Fiber Trial: Seed for this trial did not arrive until 2nd week of June. Due to weather delays the first attempt to plant this material with a small-grain drill wasn't until August 10th, 2020. Seedbed was good but in a desire to be as organic as possible, no preplant herbicide was used. Plots were 25ft long, 10 rows wide on 8 inch centers. Seeding rate was 30lbs per acre. Unfortunately this first attempt was not successful and was terminated due to: planting probably too deep (about ½ inch), not getting rain for nearly a week after planting, and weed competition. A second attempt was made on August 20th. The seedbed was weed free at planting but again, no preplant herbicides were used. The field was irrigated the day prior to sowing and again the day after sowing. Planting depth was closer to ¼ inch. Stands were better and variety dependent - Altair and Anka were among the best and X-59 the worst. Weeds, however, overtook the plots by the 3rd week. In addition, the photoperiod was all wrong and all entries had initiated flowering by the time they were less than 10 inches tall. Experiment was terminated. Lesson learned: planting needs to take place much earlier in the growing season, likely in April. Essential Oil Trial: Seed was packaged and planted at the main research farm here in Baton Rouge on June 18. Rows had been been previously pulled up and allowed to weather. 100lb/A nitrogen broadcast preplant. 38" rows. Planted using what was available - OLD JD MaxEmerge units on an Almaco planter. Weather had been dry for several days prior This old planter was basically impossible to calibrate to any depth less than ½ inch without leaving a trail of seed on top. Planted at recommended density Next day, laid out a drip tape irrigation system since it was so blasted hot and dry. Two days later... weather went wet for next 6 days. Over 7 inches of rain. Disaster. As something of a backup and arguably to see how things compared between greenhouse and field if all had gone well, started 25 seed of each EOT line in greenhouse on the 17th of June. Seeing as how the field trial was going to be a bust, transplanted 20 of the 25 into the field on July 1. Here, this was also under drip but also white plastic mulch. Only 5 of the 6 lines though. The transplanted material was pretty slow to get going. A lot of transplant shock since at that time we were still using 72 well seedling trays. (We've since gotten much better at producing young plants but too late for this season.) Some early issues with cucumber beetles but nothing serious. After a flush that lasted about 2 weeks they seemed to largely go away. Then Southern Blight hit badly. This disease is so far the largest problem faced by LA hemp growers across the state by quite a margin. So where does that leave us? Still have > 10 individual plants of 5 of the 6 EOT lines. The autoflowering lines were harvested on October 2, 2020. All really just a little past their maturity prime by a week or two. Take harvest data (height, stem diameter, whole plant fresh weight) then will dry, separate floral from other material and take dry weights. Remaining non-autoflowering lines as of end of October were finally developing good floral buds and will be harvested in mid-November. It's been a real 'trial' to get this going as direct seeded. After also working on the UK dual purpose/fiber trial I think we can direct seed and get a stand. Transplanting, however, seems to be the way to go. Given our and other LA growers issues with Southern Blight, we may have to look at other alternatives such as using pots. Actually have a meeting with several growers and companies this Friday to discuss their issues and ways to move forward.

Publications

Progress 08/29/19 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project recently started and there is nothing to report at this time.

Publications