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GROWTH AND USES OF HEMPIN WEST VIRGINIA
Louis M. McDonald
Professor, Environmental Soil Chemistry and Soil Fertility
West Virginia University
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IS IT INDUSTRIAL HEMP OR MARIJUANA?
It’s the same plant (Cannabis sativa) but
• Bred for a different purpose
• Different production practices
Industrial hemp is NOT marijuana
• 2014 USDA Farm Bill definition <0.3% THC
• WV definition < 1%
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MYTHS, RUMORS, AND OUTRIGHT LIES
• Hemp will grow anywhere
• Hemp does not require fertilizer
• Hemp does not need herbicide
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CHALLENGES PART 1
•Annual
•Needs a finely prepared seed bed to compete against weeds
•Machinery
• Soil preparation
•Grain drill to plant – not broadcast!
•Harvesting
•Drying
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CHALLENGES PART 2
• Seed can expensive (up to $10/lb); minimum orders
• Not legal to ship across state lines
• Seed from Europe (Poland, France, Italy) is old by the time it gets to farm –poor germination and vigor
• Two & four-legged and winged pests
• Processing infrastructure
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HOW TO GET STARTED
1. Must have a permit from WV Dept. of Agriculture
• FBI and State Police background checks
• Will need to explain your ‘research purpose’
• Pay application fee (~$50)
• Submit to inspection and end of year sample collection and pay for THC testing
2. Join WV Hemp Farmers Cooperative
• ~$1,000
• They have the agreements with the seed companies
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WHAT’S THE UPSIDE?
• WV is an ideal location for certified seed production
• Has a chemical manufacturing base
• Good potential as a niche crop for small producers & value added
products
• Some evidence that it suppresses soil-borne pests rotation crop
• Can produce a lot of biomass in short period of time
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WHAT ARE WE DOING AT WVU?
• Focusing on organic grain production
• Some work on variety trials, response to soil fertility and nematodes
• Some literature suggests hemp is an accumulator for metals
• Preparing a production guide for interested growers
• Need for basic and applied research
• Varieties, fertility and lime
• Environmental conditions and THC concentrations
• Value added products
• Variety development?
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