K-State Industrial Hemp Dual-Purpose Variety Trials

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Hemp is a broad term used to describe the many varieties of Cannabis sativa L. that produce less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The crop is globally significant and has recently been approved in the United States.

There are many uses for industrial hemp, and the market for industrial hemp is rapidly growing as more states are legalizing its production. Industrial hemp is marketed for oil, grain, and fiber (Figure 1). Varieties have been selected for improved fiber and grain production that can service these markets. However, little research-based information is available regarding the adaptability or production of these varieties in Kansas. Local testing is particularly important for a short-day crop like hemp because varieties adapted to higher latitudes will likely flower much earlier at lower latitudes and may not have time to generate sufficient growth to support maximum yields. Since 2019 commercially available industrial hemp varieties have been evaluated at two locations in Kansas, K-State’s John C. Pair Horticultural Center near Wichita and the Ashland Bottoms Research Farm near Manhattan.

 

Figure 1. Two dual-purpose hemp varieties. The variety on the left is more suited for fiber production and the variety on the right is suited for grain production. Photo by Kraig Roozeboom, K-State Research and Extension.


Procedures for these trials, including site characteristics, planting, fertilization, harvest, and variety source and seed characteristics for the trials at both locations are discussed in the following KSRE publications.

2019 K-State Industrial Hemp Dual-Purpose & Fiber Trial:  https://www.northwest.k-state.edu/agronomy/documents/industrial_hemp/PairCenter2019IndustrialHempReport.pdf

2020 K-State Industrial Hemp Dual-Purpose & Fiber Trial: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol7/iss9/3/

2021 Kansas State University Industrial Hemp Dual-Purpose Variety and Planting Date Trials: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol9/iss3/2/

2022 Kansas State University Industrial Hemp Dual-Purpose Variety Trials: https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol9/iss3/5/
 

Summary of Results

Wichita Trials

Yield results are available for three of the four years hemp varieties were tested near Wichita (Table 1). Data were collected from all tested varieties in 2019 and 2020, but the entire test was abandoned in 2021 because of variable stands that resulted from heavy rainfall after all three planting attempts. Due to excessive disease pressure (damping off), only four varieties were determined to have plant populations sufficient to be harvested in 2022. The varieties Altair, Henola, Joey, Vega, and X-59 had grain yields in the top group in the one year they were tested at this location. NWG-452, and NWG-2730 had superior stover yields that same year. Helena was in the top group for stover yield in 2019 and 2020 and for grain yield in 2019. In 2022, Orion had the best stand (see full report), but plant height, grain yield, stem weight, and total plant biomass did not differ statistically among the four varieties.
 

Table 1. Stover and grain yields for industrial hemp varieties were evaluated at Wichita, KS in 2019, 2020, and 2022.

 

2019

2020

2022

Variety

Stover

Grain

Stover

Grain

Stover

Grain

 

————————————— pounds/acre —————————————

Altair

-

 

-

 

3115

cd

1776

abcd

-

 

-

 

Anka

-

 

-

 

3568

bc

1369

cdef

-

 

-

 

Bialobrezkie

-

 

-

 

2483

de

1290

def

-

 

-

 

CFX-1

347

e

831

c

731

hi

1584

cde

-

 

-

 

CRS-1

620

de

1212

bc

1420

gh

1991

abc

-

 

-

 

Fedora 17

1135

c

1191

bc

2562

de

1696

bcde

-

 

-

 

Felina 32

1991

b

1576

b

2846

cde

1296

def

-

 

-

 

Futura

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

2677

 

757

 

Helena

2680

a

2123

a

4800

a

1411

cdef

-

 

-

 

Henola

-

 

-

 

2409

de

2288

ab

-

 

-

 

Hlesia

819

cde

798

c

2316

e

1276

def

-

 

-

 

Hliana

-

 

-

 

1191

gh

901

f

-

 

-

 

Hlukhovskii 51

975

cd

805

c

2922

cde

1250

def

-

 

-

 

Joey

-

 

-

 

881

ghi

1765

abcd

-

 

-

 

Katani

-

 

-

 

439

i

1549

cde

-

 

-

 

NWG-452

-

 

-

 

4244

ab

1209

def

-

 

-

 

NWG-2463

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

2306

 

857

 

NWG-2730

-

 

-

 

4529

a

1672

bcde

5057

 

1737

 

Rigel

-

 

-

 

2246

ef

1503

cdef

-

 

-

 

Tygra

907

cd

974

c

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

Orion

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

3439

 

875

 

USO 31

1089

cd

1202

bc

1545

fg

1070

ef

-

 

-

 

Vega

-

 

-

 

2268

ef

2000

abc

-

 

-

 

X-59

-

 

-

 

1008

ghi

2380

a

-

 

-

 

Stover yield was determined by subtracting grain yield from total biomass yield and included flower parts and small stems.

Values within a column followed by the same letter are not different at α = 0.05. Values in bold are not significantly different from the maximum value within a column.

 

Manhattan Trials

Yield results from only three of four years are also available for tests in Manhattan (Table 2). The 2019 trial flooded out after both planting attempts. Varieties in the top yield group for either stover or grain, but with only one year of testing included CFX-2, CRS-1, Enecterol, Futura, Rigel, and Orion 33. Varieties in the top yield group in two years for grain included CFX-1, Henola, NWG-2463, and X-59. No variety tested in multiple years was in the top yield group for stover for more than one year.


Table 2. Stover/stalk and grain yields for industrial hemp varieties evaluated at Manhattan, KS in 2020 to 2022.

 

2020

2021

2022

Variety

Stover

Grain

Stover

Grain

Stalks

Grain

 

————————————— pounds/acre —————————————

Altair

3866

ab

1576

abc

2673

efg

1082

cdef

-

 

-

 

Anka

3204

b

1082

ef

3239

bcde

949

defg

-

 

-

 

Bialobrzeskie

3931

ab

1020

ef

3387

bcd

1084

cdef

956

e

88

f

Canda

1824

e

1008

ef

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

CFX-1

1673

e

1394

abcd

1618

h

1436

ab

-

-

-

 

CFX-2

-

-

-

 

1427

h

1287

abc

-

-

-

 

CRS-1

2154

de

1537

abc

-

-

-

 

-

-

-

 

Enecterol

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

2382

ab

324

abc

Fedora 17

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

1225

de

157

cdef

Felina 32

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

1657

cd

127

def

Ferimon 12

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

1129

de

95

ef

Futura 83

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

2555

a

272

bcd

Grandi

-

-

-

 

1380

h

1132

cde

-

-

-

 

H-51

-

-

-

 

3244

bcde

881

efg

-

-

-

 

Henola

3447

ab

1638

ab

2868

cdef

1523

a

965

e

399

ab

Hlesia

4042

a

1355

bcde

2342

fg

942

efg

-

 

-

 

Hliana

3114

bc

967

fg

2092

gh

1095

cdef

-

 

-

 

Hlukhovskii 51

3447

ab

1008

ef

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

Joey

1751

e

1249

cdef

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

Katani

1939

e

1506

abc

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

Lara

-

 

-

 

3480

abc

669

g

1200

de

205

cdef

NWG-452

2502

cde

453

h

2986

bcdef

788

fg

-

 

-

 

NWG-2463

-

 

-

 

3190

bcde

1256

abc

1493

cde

469

a

NWG-2730

2645

cd

714

gh

4081

a

769

g

1964

bc

466

a

NWG-4000

-

 

-

 

2718

defg

1085

cdef

-

 

-

 

NWG-4113

-

 

-

 

3647

ab

833

fg

-

 

-

 

Rigel

3520

ab

1387

bcd

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

Orion 33

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

1983

abc

269

bcde

USO 31

-

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

1004

e

72

f

Vega

3171

bc

1747

a

2476

fg

1232

bcd

-

 

-

 

X-59

2137

de

1576

abc

1558

h

1462

ab

235

f

289

bcd

In 2020 and 2021 stover yield was determined by subtracting grain yield from total biomass yield and included flower parts and small stems; in 2022 stalk yield was determined directly by weighing stalks after threshing.

Values within a column followed by the same letter are not different at α = 0.05. Values in bold are not significantly different from the maximum value within a column.

 

Summary

Hemp varieties clearly differed in their ability to produce stover or stems (important for the fiber market) and grain. Fiber yields ranged from 235 to 4800 pounds/acre and grain yields from 72 to 2380 pounds/acre, depending on location, year, and variety. The small grain yield in Manhattan in 2022 

could be partially explained by the lack of precipitation in much of July and August (aside from a large rainfall event in late July) and by machine threshing in 2022 that likely removed lightweight seed more aggressively than the hand threshing conducted in previous years. Other factors that may have resulted in reduced grain yield in 2022 were significant bird feeding and seed shattering before harvest.

These yield results and the additional information provided in the yearly reports mentioned above provide a starting point for selecting varieties that might have a place in Kansas for fiber and/or grain production.

 

 

Kraig Roozeboom, Cropping Systems
kraig@ksu.edu

Jason Griffen, Director and Extension Specialist – John C. Pair Horticultural Center
jgriffen@ksu.edu


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