Agronomists with the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment begin planting their 2015 hemp research plots on the university’s Spindletop Research Farm in Lexington.
This is the second year for UK to conduct industrial hemp research. Last year was the first year that hemp was legally grown in the state in decades. UK conducted the 2014 pilot project under the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s guidance. This year’s research projects are funded by several corporations, with administrative support from KDA.
Researchers will evaluate the yield and fiber quality differences among different harvest times and harvest methods as well as retting times and retting methods. Retting is the process of separating the fiber from the stem.
In a second research project, Williams and Mundell will examine the best production method for cannabinoids. Cannabinoids, such as hemp-based cannabidiol, may be used in food and dietary supplements for consumer health and wellness benefits. The pharmaceutical industry is researching them for a variety of therapeutic purposes.
A third project will allow UK researchers to manipulate plant growth rates in the greenhouse and in the field of hemp used for grain and cannabinoid production. They will study specifically whether small plants make the harvest simpler and whether small plants have any yield difference compared to larger plants.
