The first test crops of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) have been growing since early summer at the John C. Pair Horticulture Center in Haysville near Wichita, the Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center in the Kansas City metro area, and the Northwest Research-Extension Center in Colby.

K-State researchers are seeking answers to many questions, including whether to grow hemp for grain, fiber or CBD oil.

The majority of the revenue stream in this expanding market comes from CBD production, says Jason Griffin, director of the John C. Pair Horticulture Center. But there are emerging markets for hemp paper products to flooring materials and even hempcrete – concrete reinforced with hemp fiber to strengthen it, he adds.

K-State Research and Extension is testing several different production techniques (including field grown and containerized plants in high tunnels), fertilizer treatments and looking for pests and diseases. The outdoor crops were grown from seed acquired from the USDA’s multi-state industrial hemp project and the indoor crops were clonally propagated from cuttings.

“Think of the fiber and grain hemp varieties as an agronomy crop,” Griffin says. “It’s grown similar to corn or wheat production and in Kansas seeding occurs about the same time as corn. Conventional nursery growers could use fiber or grain hemp like a cover crop. For CBD hemp, it’s typically grown under cover like a mum or a spirea.”

The Pair Center is testing 17 different varieties, while the Olathe center planted one variety to observe how multiple environments affect growth.

Researchers have observed that containerized hemp produced in the high tunnels grows quickly.

“Rooted cuttings were potted into a 1-gallon container and plants outgrew those pots in two to three weeks. Then we shifted those plants up to a 7-gallon container. We’re using the standard soilless nursery substrates and standard controlled-release fertilizer.”

The CBD hemp varieties can be grown outside, but only if there’s no wild hemp nearby that would pollinate the valuable crop.

“Pollen will carry up to 3 miles. The oil is produced in the female flower bud and if it gets pollinated, the plant will stop making buds and start producing seed. We’re experimenting with insect netting on the high tunnels to see if that keeps the plants from getting pollinated,” he explains.

The researchers have recognized some familiar faces when it comes to insect pests, such as aphids, spider mites and thrips, Griffin says.

“In the field plots we’ve also seen corn borers. And researchers in Kentucky identified hemp leaf spot, which can be pretty devastating,” he adds.

Currently there are no pesticides labeled for cannabis.

In the CBD oil crops, researchers have found that some varieties need pinching and some are resistant to powdering mildew.

For more: Jason Griffin, jgriffin@ksu.edu

Jason Hackett of Kansas State University contributed to this article.

Chicago Botanic Garden

In late summer, the Perennial Plant Association named Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ its 2020 Perennial of the Year. Find out why it deserves such accolades and why you should consider adding it to next year’s lineup.

Phenomenal foliage

‘Sun King’ emerges mid-spring featuring large, rounded clumps of golden yellow compound leaves. If it receives a few hours of sun a day in the landscape, the foliage will remain yellow all summer. In heavier shade, the foliage ranges from chartreuse to lime green.

Multi-season interest

The brightly colored foliage contrasts beautifully with reddish-brown stems. In mid- to late-summer, delightful racemes of tiny white flowers appear, followed by deep purple berries. The fruit is good for birds, but not edible for humans. Bees will visit the flowers in summer.

Terra Nova Nurseries

Not just for show

Production pointers

Plant the large plug into a trade 2-gallon container for best results. Aralia is a quick grower and becomes too large for smaller containers. 20 count plugs will finish a trade 2-gallon container in roughly 6-8 weeks at 65°F. Consistent moisture is important for Aralia. Do not allow plants to dry out. Provide light to moderate shade. Too much shade will cause the plant to lose its bright color.

Monrovia

In the landscape

This shrub provides a tropical look but is hardy in USDA Zones 3-9. It grows quickly to at least 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall but will likely grow larger. It’s reported to be deer resistant. Use in partially shaded areas and at the back of borders or as a focal point. Companion plants include Dicentra sp., Heuchera sp. or Athyrium sp. Introduced to the North American trade by Barry Yinger, this hardy shrub will likely wow consumers.

Adobe Stock

The first time it happened to Mountain Strong Hemp Company in Steamboat Springs, Colo., in late June, a pilot refused to take off with a shipment of legal hemp. The cargo included clones that she’d mistaken as marijuana—hemp plants that were destined for Shady Lane Farms in Tennessee, according to Mountain Strong Hemp Company’s founder and CEO, Nathan Brough.

When police were called to the scene and verified the shipment was indeed legal, the pilot still refused to carry the packages, Brough says.

“FedEx [the courier] returned the package to us,” he adds, pointing out that when this interview was conducted, the company was still waiting for a refund.

A day later, Mountain Strong Hemp Company turned to UPS to ship the hemp—and police were again called to inspect the packages. Thanks to detailed paperwork, officers “realized that it was hemp and was OK to ship,” recalls Brough. But even so, UPS was still hesitant to proceed with the shipment. After complaints from Shady Lane Farms, UPS agreed to send the hemp to its final destination—but “told us not to ship with them again,” Brough says.

Unfortunately, stories like this are all too common for companies attempting to ship hemp.

“There's a lack of education about what hemp is and how it's different from the intoxicating cannabis that contains significant amounts of THC,” explains Josh Hendrix, director of U.S. hemp production for CV Sciences. It’s that lack of education can often lead to problems in transit.

“When you have a truck full of green hemp material fresh out of the field, to the average person, it's automatically marijuana due to the look and smell—and that's very unfortunate, but it is just where we are right now with this crop, for the most part,” Hendrix says.

Big Sky Scientific has encountered several problems while attempting to receive or ship its hemp products. In January, Idaho law enforcement stopped 6,700 pounds of hemp on the way from an Oregon grower to Big Sky Scientific in Colorado. The driver was arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Since then, “we’ve been stopped a few more times,” says Big Sky Scientific CEO Ryan Shore.

“Police officers have a very difficult job, and I think it’s important we acknowledge that,” Shore says. “They are required to stop marijuana and allow hemp to pass. How can they make that determination? There is currently no field test that can accurately assess the difference.” And that, Shore explains, “is why it is so important to make their job easier.”

With that in mind, here are some lessons learned from hemp shipments gone wrong—so that you can avoid them, and the costly legal fines and potential jail time that go with them.

Make sure the driver is educated about what he or she is transporting.

“We make sure that our driver can communicate clearly to the officer and is educated about what they are shipping,” Shore says. To do that, “we always explain all our transportation documents to each driver on every shipment” before he or she hits the road, Shore says.

There's a lack of education about what hemp is and how it's different from the intoxicating cannabis that contains significant amounts of THC.”

Consider shipping with USPS.

After its experience with FedEx and UPS, Mountain Strong Hemp Company now uses the U.S. Postal Service to ship its hemp, says Brough.

“We finally learned that USPS is the only way to ship CBD and hemp products,” he says. “USPS goes by the law and not company policy.”

Hendrix agrees that USPS might be your best bet.

“You are seeing much more support from the USPS, USDA, and other federal agencies clarifying the legality of interstate commerce as it pertains to hemp material from the farm, processed goods, and finished products,” he says.

Keep an accurate, detailed paper trail.

According to Hendrix, “the paper trail on hemp and hemp goods is the obvious answer” to shipment problems.

“Always having the legal documents required by your state and the state you're going to is a must,” Hendrix says. And so is “good communication,” he adds.

Big Sky Scientific prepares all relevant shipping documents in a binder for safekeeping. Shore recommends you also “make sure someone will be available to answer the phone should the police officers want to talk to somebody at your business as well as the driver.”

Create clear labels and bills of lading.

Big Sky Scientific makes sure its hemp products are clearly labeled before they’re shipped, and “we make sure our bill of lading [BOL] is completely accurate,” Shore explains. A BOL functions as a contract between a freight carrier and shipper, so it’s very important that it’s accurate. Accuracy can prevent misunderstandings between the shipper and customers.

Jillian Kramer is a journalist based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her work has been published in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and more.

Weed control is most effective when herbicides are applied at the proper rate and proper time, and in conjunction with good sanitation. Keeping weeds at bay helps stop the spread of some insect pests and provides a more marketable plant at retail.

Sanitation

The first step to effective weed management is sanitation. Start with potting mixes that are free from weed seeds. Control weeds that have wind-dispersed seeds around the perimeter of the site. If weeds emerge in containers, remove them before they produce seeds. The more weed seed allowed to contaminate containers, the higher the probability that the weeds will germinate in areas where the herbicide barrier has been weakened or disrupted.

Maintaining a chemical barrier

Preemergence herbicides form a chemical barrier over the surface of containers. Though each herbicide controls weeds differently, preemergence herbicides provide control at the point where germinating seeds emerge through the chemical barrier.

If the chemical barrier is incomplete or disrupted, there will be a gap where weed seed can successfully germinate and grow. Several common practices can disrupt the chemical barrier, including but not limited to poking holes in the barrier with fingers or hands while moving containers, dropping containers, and allowing containers to blow over. Minimize all these activities to avoid disrupting the chemical barrier. Teach work crew members about this, because they are typically responsible for moving and working near the containers.

Pulling uncontrolled weeds also creates gaps in the chemical barrier. Pull weeds before they go to seed. Soon after removing weeds from an area, apply an herbicide to create a complete chemical barrier and prevent germination of more weeds.

Selecting preemergence herbicides

Preemergence herbicides are applied before weeds emerge, to prevent weed growth. This is in contrast to postemergence herbicides, which kill weeds after they have emerged and are actively growing. Base your selection of herbicides primarily on three criteria: the crop to which the herbicide will be applied, weed species to be controlled and herbicide solubility. Other considerations include the importance of rotating herbicide chemistry and the choice of granular versus spray-applied herbicides.

Crop tolerance of herbicides

Selecting an herbicide based on the crop being grown is critical. Every herbicide label describes how the product should be used, and which plants it can be applied to safely based on experimental tests. Chemical manufacturers make every effort to ensure that plants listed on labels can be treated safely. However, not every environmental or cultural situation can be predicted or accounted for when testing products. Therefore, before using a new herbicide, or using a familiar herbicide on a new crop, conduct a small trial to ensure the plant and herbicide are compatible under conditions specific to your production system (regardless of whether or not the plant is listed on the label).

Apply herbicides before weed seed germinates

The most important rule for application timing is that preemergence herbicides work best if applied before weed seeds germinate. Most preemergence herbicides will not control weed plants that are present and visible at the time of application. Two notable exceptions are spray-applied Goal (oxyfluorfen) and SureGuard (flumioxazin). These herbicides will kill weeds less than 4 inches tall. However, they are limited to field use and some container-grown conifers.

Existing weeds in containers must be hand-weeded before application. Weeds present at the time of herbicide application will continue to grow and produce seeds, thus perpetuating the problem. Applying preemergence herbicides to containers where weeds are growing is a costly mistake, wasting herbicide and the labor needed to apply it.

Herbicides at potting

Herbicides should be applied soon after potting. When potting plants into larger containers, before applying an herbicide, irrigate two or three times to settle the substrate (media). For best results, apply herbicides after recently potted crops have received about 1 inch of irrigation or precipitation. When using certain herbicides, wait 2 to 4 weeks before application when potting bareroot plants into containers (check labels for specific instructions).

If herbicides are applied immediately after potting, before settling, macropores in the substrate can allow herbicides to channel and make contact with plant roots, causing injury or stunting. If herbicides are withheld for too long after potting, weed seed may germinate.

About the authors: Ed Peachy is an associate professor at Oregon State University’s Horticulture Department and Lloyd Nackley is a nursery researcher at Oregon State’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center.