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SARDA Ag Research Industrial Hemp Harvest Update

By Megan Allard, Research Coordinator at SARDA Ag Research Photos taken by Megan Allard, SARDA Ag Research; Research Coordinator.

Background

SARDA Ag Research has a few years of experience in hemp research. As an organization, we first started harvesting hemp back in 2014. Our first trial was on hemp fiber variety with the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA). Following this initial trial, the hemp variety trials have expanded into seed, fiber, and dual-purpose hemp varieties. This is our third and last year conducting the hemp data & rate and fertility trial. Meanwhile, hemp variety trials are to be continued into 2022 through the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance.

The trials we have continued are outlined as follows:

Hemp Date & Rate Trial

This trial was to observe three different seeding dates: early, mid and late timings. In this trial, we used two industrial hemp varieties which were Finola, a fiber variety, and 2 Silesia which is a dual-purpose industrial hemp variety. The three different seeding rates were: 1 = low rate at 100 seeds/m2 2 = mid-rate at 250 seeds/m2 3 = high rate at 400 seeds/m2

Hemp Fertility Trial

For this trial, we observed multiple different rates of nitrogen and phosphorus. This trial also included testing for different nitrogen applications such as ESN (slow releasing form of nitrogen) and UAN (foliar application of nitrogen). The UAN was applied at 4 and 8 weeks after seeding, while boron was used as a soil foliar application.

Novelty Crop Sequencing Trial

In this instance, testing multiple different crops in a crop rotation was at the heart of the trial. Included in the variety of crops was industrial hemp.

Harvest Process

At SARDA Ag Research, all the hemp trials are harvested by hand since industrial hemp fiber and seed is being tested. The process is intensive as we use both a hemp sickle cutter and bundler. Harvest time is extensive and usually takes at least a week to take off the field, and another 1-1.5 months to separate the seed buds from the stem fiber. This year, we experimented with something new and Norm Boulet, Agricultural Fieldman for the M.D. of Smoky River, came out with his combine to try out his new stripper header on leftover SARDA Ag Research industrial hemp plots. We have provided an interview with Norm following this article to discuss the process.

Figure 1 - The sickle cutter can cut and bundle the industrial hemp samples at the same time, which makes it easier when having to put the samples into bags.

Figure 2- 2019 Hemp Harvest – in this photo the SARDA staff is separating the fiber from the seed in the field. This had turned out to be a very time-consuming way of processing the industrial hemp. Now the staff bring the industrial hemp samples back to the shop to separate and process.

Interview with Norm Boulet, Agricultural Fieldman for the M.D. of Smoky River No. 130, on Harvesting Hemp

By Megan Allard, Research Coordinator for SARDA Ag Research

Norm Boulet helped SARDA Ag Research do something a little different with our industrial hemp trials this past year. Harvest has traditionally been by hand, using two tools: a hemp sickle cutter and bundler. Norm experimented with a stripper header on our leftover industrial hemp plots. Megan Allard, Research Coordinator at SARDA Ag Research, sat down with Norm to explore the results.

Megan began the interview by asking “where did you get the idea to use the stripper header from? Where did you get it from? How old is this piece of equipment?”

“I purchased the stripper header at my close friend’s sales auction. My friend had passed away from cancer and I wanted to purchase something that would remind me of him. So I chose the stripper header, because my friend believed that stripper header was an important cropping mechanism. Especially for those dry years where the crop was low and difficult to pick up.”

“How well did the stripper header work to you in your opinion?”

“This year the stripper header did not work well in the SARDA Ag Research plots. It is an ideal piece of equipment for keeping the industrial hemp straw out of the combine. But due to the unevenness of the crop it was throwing out a lot of seed.”

“Is this a piece of equipment that you would use on your own hemp fields in the near future?”

“No, due to the circumstances in questions #2. I would like to have tried it on a more uniform stand- since the SARDA Ag Research plots had both fiber and seed varieties the crop stand was not uniform. And I would also like to try and combine the hemp when it is green. This could potentially improve seed loss while using the stripper header to combine.”

“What’s something that you would change about it?”

“I would like to see a height control system for it when going into a short crop stand. To keep it at the proper height throughout, because it is difficult to judge whether you are at the proper height to combine the crop.”

“Thank you so much Norm for going over the results of this test run on the industrial hemp and for the feedback.”

SARDA Ag Research would like to thank Norm for his willingness to attempt something new on our industrial hemp plots and for what we have learned from this experiment. We hope you enjoyed the interview and we look forward to having more chats with Norm.