North Carolina State University (NC State) has received a grant to study fiber hemp; specifically the impacts of harvesting time and processing.
The $333,516 grant has been provided by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture’s (FFAR) Hemp Research Consortium. The FFAR consortium is a public-private partnership that was established in 2022. It brings together universities with industry participants with view to addressing challenges faced by the USA’s hemp sector.
As well as the FFAR cash, consortium partners Bast Fibre Technologies, IND HEMP and NC State are contributing matching funds; making for a total investment of $667,032.
“Hemp fiber is a burgeoning industry that can benefit growers across the country,” said FFAR’s Kathy Munkvold, Ph.D. “This research is developing tools and guidance to ensure a consistently high-quality crop, regardless of where it’s grown.”
Aiming to reduce inconsistencies in industrial hemp fiber quality, the research will develop guidance based on environmental effects found in relation to different aspects of hemp harvest and processing. In the USA, harvest timing tends to be based on the European hemp plant genetics, but U.S. producers primarily utilise varieties originating from China.
Led by NC State’s Dr. David Suchoff, the researchers intend creating harvest-timing guidelines and retting tools and technologies for U.S. growers; harvesting hemp at different times in North Carolina and Montana, then comparing fiber characteristics.
“Researchers will also study hemp-associated bacteria and fungi used in retting to create field-tested probiotics that can improve the process under cool, arid conditions,” says FFAR.
Retting is a process involving the use of moisture and microbes to break chemical bonds holding the hemp stem together, which enables the easier separation of the bast from the woody core; which is called the hurd or shiv. Longer processing times tend to be experienced in cool, arid condition such as found in Montana.
Other hemp projects funded by FFAR include research involving whole genome sequencing in order to better understand flowering time variation. This could be used to develop molecular markers to accelerate breeding for southern-adapted hemp cultivars.
Hemp isn’t the only crop FFAR focuses on. Its overall mission is to support “audacious” science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges.
“This research generates actionable results that benefit farmers, consumers and the environment,” says FFAR.
