The Cultivar Check Program: Utilizing the Midwestern Hemp Database (MHD) and Grower-Cooperators to Assess Variety Performance of High Cannabinoid Hemp

Project Overview

ONC23-117
Project Type: Partnership
Funds awarded in 2023: $49,339.00
Projected End Date: 04/04/2025
Grant Recipient: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Region: North Central
State: Wisconsin
Project Coordinator:
Phillip Alberti
Email
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Information Products

Commodities

  • Agronomic: hemp

Practices

  • Crop Production: crop improvement and selection, cropping systems, tissue analysis, varieties and cultivars
  • Education and Training: decision support system, extension, farmer to farmer, networking, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
  • Farm Business Management: risk management
  • Sustainable Communities: partnerships, quality of life, social networks

    Proposal abstract:

    As a “new” crop to North Central agriculture, best management practices and performance of high cannabinoid industrial hemp (Cannabis spp.) varieties are still being investigated. Despite tremendous interest across the region, the lack of university published resources greatly increase the risk of hemp production relative to conventional crops and threaten to undermine the nascent hemp industry.   

    To address these issues The Midwestern Hemp Research Collaborative (MHRC), a joint effort of land grant universities, non-profits, and private laboratories, was formed. Our proposed project will build on existing researcher-farmer partnerships to conduct participatory hemp cultivar trials to rapidly generate relevant, research-based information for the hemp industry. All data generated will be integrated into the Midwestern Hemp Database (MHD), a public online resource supporting stakeholder decision-making and risk mitigation.  

    Objectives of this project are: 1) Grow the MHD to include over 250 participating growers in 2025 across the NCR; 2) Reevaluate and modify “good potential” criteria and 3) Expand existing network of grower-cooperators (32+) conducting participatory on-farm trials using “good potential” cultivars (20+) via the Cultivar Check Program.   

    Outreach will be designed for growers and shared as part of a coordinated outreach plan, including the MHD website, written reports, presentations, and field days.  

    Project objectives from proposal:

    1. Grow the MHD to include over 250 participating growers in 2025 across the NCR. 
      • Improve current visualization platforms for enhanced utility by stakeholders 
    1.  
    1. Reevaluate and modify “good potential” criteria to include additional factors including  photoperiodism, genetic uniformity, earliness and disease resistance 
    1. Expand existing network of grower-cooperators (32+) conducting participatory on-farm trials using select “good potential” cultivars (20+) via the Cultivar Check Program; data to be included in the MHD 
      • Improving data collection for enhanced utility by grower-cooperators  
      • Utilize cannabinoid development data from the Cultivar Check Program to determine harvest schedules for “good potential” cultivars 
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.