Reprint AgriLife
GETTING TO KNOW
FRANK SHULTZ
H
BY MISTY CONTRERAS Texas Hemp Reporter
ow did you begin in the field of soil testing, can you give us a bit of your origin story? The lab was established in 1938 by Dr. George Schulz (no relation). Please see attached history which was compiled years ago. I am the third-generation president and conservator of an 80-plus year-old institution, starting as client in the early 2000s. You have clients all over the globe, but here in Texas, what would you say is the single, biggest challenge a farmer will face in terms of crop health? Education. We often get calls from people who say they are interested in growing hemp but it obtains during the conversation that they have done little of no research into the plant, its unique requirements, possible markets or the industry in general. Unfortunately, we have seen and heard firsthand accounts of millions of dollars simply lost by people who lacked experience or hadn’t done their research. Some “bet the farm” and lost it. Even experienced growers, from gardeners to wellestablished farmers often do not appreciate the costs, infrastructure required and especially the labor-intensive nature of growing CBD industrial hemp. (We saw a reduction in hemp acres grown with our clients in 2020 from 2019, largely due to the realization of the labor required.) Additionally, experienced growers of other crops are accustomed to few changes in plant varieties and genetics year after year. However, new hemp genetics are being developed continuously to enhance oil percentages and characteristics, and suitability for specific growing conditions and regions. This means that a grower must constantly be on the lookout for new varieties to better suit his growing conditions and accommodate dynamic market demands for the latest desired CBD isolates.
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Ag Mag THEAGMAG.ORG
A BIG MISTAKE some of our clients made was in retaining Marihuana consultants to advise them on growing industrial hemp. With the understanding that genetics is where it all starts and is key to the capacity of cannabinoid production and composition (or lack thereof), the growing practices for each are quite opposite in several ways: ● With Marihuana, the varietal genesis is typically C. indica L., due to its penchant for producing high levels of THC. Plant stress is purposely induced during the middle and latter stages of development to further stimulate the production of THC. This is done by limiting fertilization, water, light or causing any other factor to induce stress. ● C. sativa L. is the varietal genesis of industrial hemp and typically has a lesser penchant for producing THC. However, THC production is still stimulated by plant stress. Accordingly, it is essential to limit stress in order to limit THC content to 0.3% or less to have expectations of a harvestable crop – even for sativa. The good news is that we can do much to limit stress and encourage production of CBD by providing balanced nutrition at critical times during plant development and to at an extent, managing water. We can even compensate, to degrees, for other stressful conditions such as weather. With Marihuana, stress is encouraged. But there’s more: Because you get a harvestable crop does not mean that you get a merchantable crop! Over the several years, we’ve seen processor’s demands increase for percentage of CBD and even for particular isolates of CBD (CBG, CBN, etc.) – and now, ∆-8 THC (in Texas). The appropriate genetics, stress management, cultivation practice, and correct, timed nutrition and water are the answer. Can you describe your operation in Edinburg? We are a consulting agronomic laboratory, being in the same location for decades and have current technology
