Alternative ground covers and strip-tilling in CBD hemp production

Little research has been done on managing soil health for large-scale, outdoor hemp production, contributing to the possible overuse of black plastic for weed suppression. Our experiment aimed to understand the performance of alternative ground covers including forage crops and hay as well as a less...

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Published inBMC research notes Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 1 - 252
Main Authors Osorio, Erika, Fisher, Benjamin, Foster, Matt, Voigt, Brian, von Wettberg, Eric J. B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London BioMed Central Ltd 04.10.2023
BioMed Central
BMC
Subjects
Agricultural production
Analysis
Black plastic
Cannabinoids
Carbon sequestration
CBD Hemp
Comparative analysis
Crops
Farms
Ground cover
Hemp
Nitrogen
Plant fiber industry
Plastics
Production processes
Red clover
Research Note
Seeds
Soil health
Soil structure
Strip-tilling
Understory companion crops
Variables
Vermont
United States
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Summary:Little research has been done on managing soil health for large-scale, outdoor hemp production, contributing to the possible overuse of black plastic for weed suppression. Our experiment aimed to understand the performance of alternative ground covers including forage crops and hay as well as a less disruptive tilling method called strip-tilling compared to black plastic. Yield and soil health data were taken from three experimental plantings from two different outdoor CBD hemp farms in Vermont, USA. We find that hay may be a competitive alternative to black plastic in terms of producing heavier plants. Our research also found that clover seed and hay are both more cost-effective options than black plastic which may sway some farmers to adopt these alternative ground cover options.
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ISSN:1756-0500
1756-0500
DOI:10.1186/s13104-023-06551-4