Abstract

Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis sativa L. The crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. and re-emerging worldwide importance as medical providers and manufacturers seek hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. Hemp grown for all types of end-use (health supplement, fiber, and seed) contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some hemp varieties intended to produce a health supplement contain relatively high concentrations of a compound called cannabidiol (CBD), potentially 10-15%. The compound CBD has purported benefits such as relief from inflammation, pain, anxiety, seizures, spasms, and other conditions. The CBD compound is the most concentrated in the female flower buds of the plant, however, it is also in the leaves and other plant parts as well.

To produce hemp for flower, the plant is generally grown intensively as a specialty crop and the flowers are cultivated for maximum growth. The various cannabinoids and terpenes concentrated in the flower buds are often extracted and incorporated into topical products (salves, lip balm, lotion) and food and is available in pill capsules, powder form, and more, which can be found in the market today. To help farmers succeed, agronomic research on hemp is needed in the United States. University of Vermont, in partnership with the University of Maine, evaluated the impact of five different nitrogen (N) application rates on the growth habit, yield, flower quality, and whole plant nutrient concentration of hemp.

Participants intending to grow hemp are required to follow state or federal regulations regarding hemp production and registration. Growers must either register with their intended state for production or adhere to federal regulations for production within a grower’s given state. Regulations are subject to change from year to year with the development and approval of proposed program rules and it is important to note that regulations may vary across state lines and may be impacted by pending federal regulations. For the 2023 growing season, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Hemp program is no longer accepting registrations for growing or processing hemp in the state of Vermont. Please refer to this https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp for detailed information on USDA hemp guidelines for production.

Keywords

UVM, University of Vermont, Vermont

Publication Date

2-2024

Download

Share

COinS