How Growing Industrial Hemp Seeds Help?
Hemp is an industrial fibre which is also known as Cannabis. Defined in various ways depending on which country you are in. Most countries view THC < 1% to be a non-drug form of cannabis (cannabis for drug use is usually over 10% THC). Smoking hemp is more likely to produce a headache than anything else. There are many uses of Texas Industrial Hemp Program Seeds so today we will be examining how to farm this plant legally.
Non Toxic Agriculture
Hemp growing shares many of the attributes of cannabis cultivation. Hemp and cannabis grow and look the same way. It requires no pesticides or herbicides to grow like cotton. Cotton crops have 24% of the pesticides in the world sprayed on them, but have a 2.4% global market share.
Yields
The crop must be grown in well-fertilized soil for a good yield. Hemp is versatile enough to grow in different soil types but grows best in sandier soils. As with all plants, nutrition is gained from the soil in which the plant grows. Many believe that this prevents hemp from remaining a mainstream crop. Mono-cultured hemp plantations can only be supported by the addition of chemicals.
Industrial hemp is ideal in crop rotation farming where a sustainable permaculture is established. Hemp is able to extract nutrients from deep within the soil with large tap root. The yield from a hectare of the plant is in the region of 9 tons of fibre in <100 days and 2 tons of seed in < 120 days. Using quality seeds and planting with the correct spacing is the best way to ensure an optimal yield. Latitude is an important factor to consider when choosing seed variety. Before planting the first crop, the condition of the existing soil should be assessed.
Harvesting
Determining harvest time will depend upon either the maturity of the seed or the level of defoliation. Combine harvesters are the usual method of collecting seed from the crop whereas fibre is mowed/cut. Harvest timing can be affected by the hemp variety and the type of crop required. Alternative harvesting techniques include;
Decortication
Separation of the fibre from the hurd is called decortications and usually requires a sizeable building. To be profitable, a decortication facility has to achieve high throughput; such plants cost around $10 to build. Around the world today there are only 10 major decortication facilities. MDF production also requires a disk refiner. Textile production will usually require scotching, hackling and combing.
Harvesting Operations
Where the crop is to be utilized for textile manufacture, the stalks should be cut in the early flowering stage (before the seeds set), or if male, in the pollinating phase. Considerable lignification occurs in post-seed production plant fiber and results in hemp that can only be used in industrial non-woven applications. Considerable lignification occurs in post-seed production plant fiber and results in hemp that can only be used in industrial non-woven applications. Lower yields will result from stalks cut after seed maturity. Seed crops are gathered with a combine harvester operating at high speed, which is modified to cut the top of the plant and thresh the retained seed heads. During the harvest, a narrowed chopper can be used to reduce blockages. Combined harvesters can be conventional or axial flow; both are suitable for hemp harvests. The remaining stalks standing in the field are left to dry completely, are cut, trimmed for length and then pressed into bales.
Weather Implications
The weather at the beginning and ending of a hemp crop is critical to the success of a harvest. A lack of rain in the beginning stages significantly reduced growth. At the end of the crop, too much rain will induce a retting and rotting phase which can affect yields considerably.
