Progress report for ONC22-098
Project Information
Western Wisconsin has moved from a major forage producing region to a continuous row crop producing region, mainly a corn/soybean rotation. Adding an environmentally friendly and economically viable crop to the traditional corn-soybean rotation improves the sustainability of our soil and water resources.
Research will be on three Western Wisconsin farms with three different soil types and three different production systems. These include a non-irrigated sandy soil with a conventional tillage system, an eroded (but still productive) silt loam ridgetop soil in a no-till system, and highly productive loamy soil in an organic system. All plots will be designed using random block design and replicated four times to provide statistically reliable data. All locations will use the same research design.
Variables measured will include total biomass produced per acre, fiber quality based on variety and seeding rates, nitrogen fertilizer needs for the crop, and basic forage quality. Farm partners have an additional interest in fiber hemp as an emergency forage crop, which is common in parts of Europe. Finally, the project team will calculate rotation soil loss at each farm under traditional corn/soybean rotation and compare with rotations containing hemp and other possible rotation crops.
The major objectives of this project are listed below. Each of the ag professional partners will be responsible for specific objectives.
- Evaluate fiber hemp varieties to determine performance in Wisconsin soils and growing conditions.
- Identify proper seeding rates for fiber hemp to meet potential industry needs.
- Evaluate environmental impact (soil loss, soil nitrogen movement) of industrial hemp in crop rotations.
- Measure fiber hemp forage quality as a potential ruminant animal feedstuff (lab analysis only).
- Begin a fiber hemp cost of production database as a guide for Midwest farmers.
- Evaluate nitrogen application rates and fiber yield.
Cooperators
- (Educator)
Research
Adding an environmentally friendly and economically viable crop to the traditional corn-soybean rotation improves the sustainability of our soil and water resources.
Research will be on three Western Wisconsin farms with three different soil types and three different production systems. These include a non-irrigated sandy soil with a conventional tillage system, an eroded (but still productive) silt loam ridgetop soil in a no-till/limited tillage system, and highly productive loamy soil in an organic system using conventional tillage. All plots will be designed using random block design and replicated four times to provide statistically reliable data. All locations will use the same research design.
Variables measured will include total biomass produced per acre, fiber quality based on variety and seeding rates, nitrogen fertilizer needs for the crop, and basic forage quality. Farm partners have an additional interest in fiber hemp as an emergency forage crop, which is common in parts of Europe. Finally, the project team will calculate rotation soil loss at each farm under traditional corn/soybean rotation and compare with rotations containing hemp and other possible rotation crops.
First year data is still being compiled from the trials. Some of the data will actually be the second year, as the trials were done on a smaller scale in 2021 at the same locations. This data will be included in our final report. We also learned several things from our first year related to the tillage and planting equipment being used at the organic location. The trial field needed to be rolled/compressed to get an even seedbed and improved emergence.
Hemp is small seeded and requires a shallow seedbed but good seed to soil contact. The 2022 emergence was even and excellent due to the changes that were made.
2022 data is still being compiled and analyzed. The 2021 Research Report has been included. This was the year prior to our grant both a couple of the projects will be carried through the two years of the Partnership Grant. We will be making a couple of changes in layout of the plots for 2023. We learned that it is very difficult for fiber and/or grain harvest based on maturity in a complete randomized block design. In 2023, we will modify the blocks by maturity rating the companies have to allow for multiple harvest dates giving us much better data on individual varieties. Harvest will be spread out over 30 days rather than picking an average maturity and harvesting all varieties at once.
Preliminary forage data varies more than the data gathered in 2021. We also included a digestibility measure in 2022 for estimating rumen digestibility of hemp silage (green not fermented). We are exploring fermenting a few samples in 2023 if a suitable protocol can be developed to allow us to test fermented hemp forage. Hemp forage seems to have a place as an emergency forage source in the Midwest. emerging crops research bulletin #2Hemp final
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Three field days were held, one at each research location. Updates were given on each objective of the project. We also had a small demonstration site planted at the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days site and spoke to hundreds of visitors about the project and about what we hope to gain through the research we are conducting with the partnership grant. April 20, 2023 we will be holding a virtual field day reporting on this project and other hemp related projects in Wisconsin. A local FFA chapter helped with data gathering in 2022 and has taken an interest in industrial hemp relating to animal feed and animal bedding. The Wisconsin State FFA officers also visited the plots to learn about hemp as an alternative Wisconsin crops.
Podcasts that were produced this past year on Hemp:
https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/the-cutting-edge-podcast-episode-35-a-ho-chunk-perspective-on-hemp/
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Too early for these outcomes. Need to complete the 2023 growing season for data appropriate for changes.