Industrial Hemp Performance in North Dakota.

After a 70-plus year absence in production, industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is being grown in university research trials in several states across the U.S. This effort begins the process of screening genotypes for adaptation and defining basic guidelines for production that will aid in crop commercialization. Twelve industrial hemp cultivars sourced from Canada, France, and Australia were grown in a RCBD with four replicates at the Langdon Research Extension Center in northeastern North Dakota in 2015. Plots consisted of four rows at a 30.5 cm row spacing and row length of 7.6 meters, with a targeted plant population of 130 plants meter^-2. Traits evaluated included stand establishment, seedling vigor, plant height and lodging, flowering, maturity, total plant biomass, seed yield, stalk biomass, seed and biomass moisture, seed oil content and composition, and cannabinoid type and content. At harvest for fiber production, biomass moisture for Canadian cultivars ranged from 69 to 74%. Dry biomass for fiber production ranged from 5,312 to 15,118 kg ha^-1 among cultivars. Biomass of stalks without leaves, petioles, floral structures, or seeds ranged from 3,087 to 10,510 kg ha^-1.  Stalk percentage of the fiber harvested biomass ranged from 58 (Finola) to 79% (Canda) among cultivars. Seed yield differences are anticipated among cultivars and important in determining total crop value in addition to biomass for fiber production. This study is ongoing for several more years to identify cultivars with consistent high performance for production that benefits producer, community, and regional sustainability.