The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has announced that the latest round of industrial hemp trials has been planted, with the aim of examining the potential of growing the crop for grain production.
The Department has expanded field trials from its Manjimup Research Facility to include a site at Busselton and later a site in the tropics.
Research scientist and project leader, Shahajahan Miyan (pictured) said there was increasing interest in growing industrial hemp, which is not intoxicating but high in protein, for use as a flour, seed, protein and oil, in bread, cereals, milk and dairy products.
Mr Miyan said the focus of the trial was on different times of sowing, using 12 industrial hemp cultivars.
“We are comparing sowing times of the first day of the months of October, December, January and March at the two sites to determine the optimal time and environments for planting,” Mr Miyan said.
“Another site at the Department’s Kununurra Research Facility will be sown during April to examine time of sowing and crop performance in the tropics.”
He said hemp sown for human consumption required only 100 to 160 days to grow before it was harvested.
“All the trials are irrigated, as hemp is a summer crop that does not perform well without adequate water,” Mr Miyan said.
“The hemp seed varieties being trialled come from Australia, France and Canada, which are sown into clay loam soil.”
He said the trials would be harvested at maturity, after which the seed would be measured for grain, protein and oil content.
