URBANA, Ill. — Industrial hemp is one of the fastest growing crops across Midwestern fields, and researchers are recruiting producers in the race to learn more.
University of Illinois Extension commercial agriculture educators are working with growers to source field data and provide cutting-edge research through the new Midwestern Hemp Database. Producer applications are now being accepted for the 2021 growing season online at: go.illinois.edu/HempDatabase.
In the mutually beneficial project, hemp producers submit information about their crop and university staff analyze and share that data with the public.
In exchange for their involvement, growers receive discounted cannabinoid testing on samples. A report containing summary findings of the 2020 growing season can be found at go.illinois.edu/mhdfactsheet.
“As this is a new crop, we simply do not know what is and is not working in the Midwest,” said Phillip Alberti, U of I Extension commercial agriculture educator serving Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago counties. “This project allows us to learn a lot in a short period of time while allowing growers to conduct their own trials.”
“The database is an interactive platform, updated weekly, that helps guide growers,” Alberti said. “Together, we’re working to understand the performance of production practices and hemp cultivars used in the Midwest.”
The database will not only be useful for processors, but also regulators, as data from the Midwestern Hemp Database was used to support rule changes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Final Rule. The impending adoption of these rules has made 2021 another valuable year to gather information for producers.
“This project puts data from around the Midwest into an easily accessible and interactive format,” Alberti said. “Growers can feel confident using this database to make informed decisions about their operation.”
The MHD began as a collaborative project between four Midwestern land-grant universities Michigan State, U of I, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Purdue University and a private laboratory, Rock River Laboratory Inc.
The project will be expanding to include more states — Iowa, Ohio and Kentucky – land-grant institutions and private laboratories, ACT Laboratories, in 2021.
For more information, contact Alberti at 815-235-4125.