UF/IFAS Announces Results of Two-Year Industrial Hemp Pilot Project
UF/IFAS wrapped up the two-year Industrial Hemp Pilot Project with guidance that hemp may be a viable commodity for Florida growers in the future, with caution for economic and environmental challenges.
The pilot project at UF/IFAS began in the spring of 2019 after federal and state legislation established an industrial hemp pilot program with research and education priorities that support hemp cultivation.
The project’s three primary goals were to assess hemp variety suitability for Florida, develop hemp management strategies for Florida, and evaluate the invasion risk of hemp in Florida. This included data from trials around the state with hemp grown at UF/IFAS research sites and private farms.
“From our research, including the on-farm trials with growers around the state, we have found that hemp can grow in Florida but there is more work to be done on the way to a viable crop,” said Zachary Brym, UF/IFAS agronomy assistant professor and hemp pilot project lead scientist. “There are a variety of environmental and management factors that influence hemp productivity that we need to spend more time understanding. We’ll keep up that work as long as there is support to do so.”
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