USA
November 25, 2024

Hemp growers strive to produce abundant, easily processed plant stems with high quality fibers, but little is known about the connection between harvest time, environment and fiber quality. To help fill this critical knowledge gap, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture’s (FFAR) Hemp Research Consortium is providing a $333,516 grant to North Carolina State University (NC State) to study the impacts of harvesting time on fiber hemp and develop knowledge and technologies for fiber hemp processing. Consortium partners Bast Fibre Technologies, IND HEMP and NC State are contributing matching funds for a total investment of $667,032.

Hemp fiber is a burgeoning industry that can benefit growers across the country. This research is developing tools and guidance to ensure a consistently high-quality crop, regardless of where it’s grown.
Kathy Munkvold, Ph.D.
Scientific Program Director
Cultivating Thriving Production Systems

The research aims to reduce inconsistencies in industrial hemp fiber quality by developing data-based guidance developed from a deeper understanding of the effects of the environment on different aspects of hemp harvest and processing. Fiber length, diameter and strength change as the hemp plant grows. However, while current guidance for harvest timing is based on the genetics of hemp plants from Europe, U.S. producers primarily grow varieties originating from China, which has a longer growing season. In addition, once harvested, the process for separating hemp fibers from the stem relies on a microbial process called retting that is less efficient in cooler, arid climates. Improper retting requires longer processing times, which increases cost and decreases fiber quality.

Researchers led by Dr. David Suchoff, alternative crops extension specialist and assistant professor in crop and soil sciences at NC State, intend to create a set of harvest-timing guidelines and retting tools and technologies for U.S. growers seeking to produce quality hemp fiber. The team will harvest hemp at different times in the divergent climates of North Carolina and Montana and compare fiber characteristics to determine the impacts of environment, genetics and harvest timing on fiber quality. Researchers will also study hemp-associated bacteria and fungi used in retting to create field-tested probiotics that can improve the process under cool, arid conditions.

For more information about this research, visit the Improving Hemp Quality Through Harvest Timing & Enhanced Processing grant page on FFAR’s website.

Website: http://foundationfar.org/

Published: November 25, 2024