View Proposal

Kansas

Shawnee

• Yes

• Individual

May 15, 2024

December 31, 2024

• No

• Crop Production (includes agroforestry, beekeeping, pollination)

• Agronomic

Brent Boman is an experienced entrepreneur, agronomist, plant biologist and specialty crop producer. He was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas and comes from a long line of Swedish farmers that settled in Scandia, Kansas in the mid 1800’s. Brent's passion to provide sustainable agricultural solutions became reality in 2012 at The Organization for Sustainable Living, where he spent years plant breeding and conducting aquaponic cultivation research, development, implementation, and scaling. He built, managed, and operated an aquaponic greenhouse for OFSL which was the largest USDA certified organic aquaponic greenhouse in North America from 2012 to 2015. Brent alongside his wife, Rochelle, oversaw and was engaged in all aspects of the OFSL aquaponic business from system development to regulatory compliance to delivery of processed produce.

In 2018, opportunity in the industrial hemp supply chain appeared in the production of high-quality genetics to produce economies of scale in the market. Brent has worked alongside Rochelle to fill this market need on a full time basis since 2019. In 2021, AST Genetics was incorporated in the state of Kansas as the result of a joint venture between the Bomans, Tiger Fiber Hemp Processing and High Plains Pet Nutrition to continue development of novel industrial hemp varietals. AST Genetics completed a breeding program of 8 breeding cycles and submitted for AOSCA certification of the novel AST530 variety of dual-purpose industrial hemp in 2023. The AST530 variety was a top performer in comparative yield trials at Kansas State University, the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin. Brent has planted or managed the planting of industrial hemp utilizing various production methods and post harvest processing based on the crop intended use in 5 Kansas counties beginning in 2019.

Brent's role in this project is to prepare, plant, harvest and record the best practices and results of the planting in addition to managing the overall project activity and personnel as needed throughout the project.

AST Genetics is a small operation consisting of two full time operators that has specialized in the development of novel varieties of industrial hemp on our 5-acre farm in Dover, Kansas. We hire seasonal help as needed throughout the production cycle. On our farm we have a quarter acre nursery plot and a climate controlled breeding facility. In 2023, AST Genetics leased 14 acres of production field to multiply our quantity of the AST 530 seed variety developed.

Since the Kansas Department of Agriculture industrial hemp research program first launched in 2019, farmers in the state have attempted to produce profitable industrial hemp fiber and grain crops.  Ninety percent of farmers have failed to produce profitable industrial hemp crops due to a lack of knowledge and resources providing guidance to establish on farm best practices for profitable production.  This has pretty much been the norm in the North Central part of the United States.   As with any commodity crop, soil preparation, nutrient content and planting methodology, harvest and post harvest processing are critical to profitability.  Research in these areas have been sparse and fractional.  This has left the vast majority of commodity producers seeking to include industrial hemp in their crop rotation at best mildly successful and at worse a failed industrial hemp producer.  Every commodity crop producer that we know is looking for another crop to add into the rotation for both economic and soil sustainability purposes.  Industrial hemp fiber and grain cultivars are that other crop, but the resources for success just aren't there yet.      

 

The AST Genetics contribution to solving this problem is to determine, document and distribute the optimal planting density and best practices used in the production of a high performing hemp dual-purpose hemp variety when planted into a burned down cover crop with a no-till seed drill.  Below is an overview of our trial plan.

Duration- 200 days

Variety planted- AST 530

Planting densities- 15lb, 25lb, 50lb

Data Collection:

Emergence Rate- 21 days after planting. 

Photo documentation-  Plot development photos will be taken every 30 days of the project and organized into a timeline relative to each plot.  

Seed yield- Each plots seed will be dried, cleaned and weights recorded.

Fiber Yield-Each plots fiber yield will be recorded

Field Activity:

Cover Crop-A red clover cover crop will be broadcast planted 

Burn Down-The cover crop will be chemically terminated 3-5 before planting the industrial hemp seed

Soil Nutrients-Soil nutrient tests will be taken and granular fertilizer mix prepared. Granular fertilizer will be furrow applied at planting.  

Planting- A Great Plains no-till seed drill will be utilized to drill AST 530 seed at 15lb, 25lb, and 50lb in four separate replicates on 7.5" centers.  

Irrigation- No irrigation will be used on this project.

Harvest- A Wintersteiger plot combine will be utilized to harvest the grain from the plots.  A John Deere sickle bar will be used to cut the stalks and a John Deere square baler utilized to bale the stalks.

Seed Processing- Seed will be dried and cleaned using a Metra 400 grain cleaner

Overview:

The trial will begin in January of 2024 with the broadcasting of red clover crop seed at a rate of 10 pounds per acre.  The cover crop is a sustainable way to add nitrogen and other nutrient matter to the soil therefore reducing nutrient input requirements at planting.  It is also a sustainable method of weed mitigation prior to planting of the industrial hemp seed.  The clover field will be chemically burned down with ethalfluralin in early May and the industrial hemp seed planted three to five days later.  Ethalfluralin is an EPA approved herbicide for industrial hemp fiber and grain production when used as a preemergent.  We will plant and apply fertilizer in four separate five by fifty plots per planting density for a total of 12 plots using the Great Plains no-till seed drill.  Each plot will be separated by a three foot walkway. Plots will be utilized to collect data and conduct field days throughout the growing season and harvested in the late fall when moisture levels in the plants are appropriate.  Harvest will be done in two stages.  The seed will be cut with the plot combine and a reel header.  The fiber will be cut within a week of the seed cut.  It will be retted in the field and baled for transport to our farm to be weighed on a floor scale.  The seed will be cleaned on our farm with the Metra grain cleaner and each plots yield will be weighed.

Upon completion of data entry, we will produce a comprehensive report to serve as a best practices guideline for producing industrial hemp including a recommendation of optimal planting density based on the trial data.

Objectives:

1. Determine if fifteen, twenty five or fifty pounds per acre is the optimal planting density for fiber and grain production.
2. Document soil preparation, planting, harvest and post harvest processing procedures utilized.
3. Equip producers with knowledge and resources by hosting field days and distributing a comprehensive report upon project completion to attendees of field days and other interested producers.

 

• Production and Production Efficiency
  • Improved crop production and/or production efficiency
• Social Sustainability
  • Improved quality of life

Benefits	What will be measured	How I will measure results
Improved crop production and/or production efficiency	Seed and fiber yield relative to planting density	A floor scale will be used to measure the seed and fiber yield from each plot individually.
Improved Quality of Life	Increase in knowledge of industrial hemp fiber and grain production utilizing cover crops by farmers who attend field days and/or obtain the comprehensive report generated by this project.	Surveys after field day workshops and discussions held after receipt of the project report.

The AST 530 variety was included in comparative yield trials at three universities across the North Central Region funded by USDA SAC-NIFA 2023 "Midwestern Hemp Research Collaborative" and USDA S1084 "Multi-State Hemp Project". Collaboration with researchers in these trials provided valuable insight to us in regard to the most effective planting equipment and pre-emergent burn down utilized in the trials.  However, every yield trial was strongly dependent upon weed cultivation of the trial plots prior to canopy of the hemp crop.  We believe that a cover crop in place and proper timing of the burn down is necessary to eliminate the need of additional passes through the field with cultivators thus improving crop production and efficiency.  In addition, all university trials were planted at 15 lbs per acre for grain and dual-purpose varieties and at 25 lbs per acre for fiber production.  The typical planting densities of successful commodity producers are 25 lbs per acre for grain and dual-purpose varieties and 50lbs per acre for fiber production.  This project will provide a clear recommended planting rate for farmers utilizing the industrial hemp production process that we provide.  

In 2021 and 2022 the Kansas Hemp Consortium completed two SARE projects titled "KS Fiber Hemp Variety Trials" and "Increasing Industrial Hemp Acreage for Fiber and Grain with Planting Best Practices & Recommendations".  The information product produced from the "KS Fiber Hemp Variety Trials" titled "Kansas Industrial Hemp Planting Best Practices Guide" is a good resource and does a great job addressing planting depth, soil temperatures and vegetative period.  In the project, the Kansas Hemp Consortium did not incorporate a cover crop or ethalfluralin burn down of the cover crop into their production methods leading to the necessity to recommend cultivation prior to the hemp crop reaching canopy.  Ethalfluralin is an EPA approved preemergent herbicide for use in industrial hemp production that was utilized across the North Central region university comparative yield trials referenced above as a preemergent herbicide.  We hope to build upon this research done in the state of Kansas to further the resources available to Kansas row crop producers actively growing or considering hemp in their crop rotations. 

Another variance in our project proposal compared to the projects completed by the Kansas Hemp Consortium is that they utilized industrial hemp fiber varieties in 2021 and industrial hemp grain varieties in 2022.  The AST 530 variety is a dual-purpose variety.

 

 

 

 

Date	Outreach Activity	Who Participates
May-Early November 2024	Document progress of research trials by taking photos monthly and posting them with descriptions on the AST Genetics website.	Brent Boman, Rochelle Boman.  Individuals that have heard about the AST530 variety and it's success in the 2023 comparative yield trials.
August 2024	Hold field day at trial location to discuss pre-planting and planting methods used at the trials.	Brent Boman, Rochelle Boman.  Kansans for Hemp co-founder and Planted Association of Kansas founder, Kelly Rippel.  KDA Industrial Hemp Supervisor, Braden Hoch.  We expect 30 to 40 farmers at the field day.
December 2024	Post comprehensive report on the AST Genetics website and promote through the Planted Association of Kansas and other industry networks	Brent Boman, Rochelle Boman.  We will work with our industry network across the North Central region to promote the resulting data to commodity producers across the region.

• No

Category	Description	Amount
Materials and supplies	Slow release fertilizer	$140
Materials and supplies	Ethalfluralin	$250
Other direct costs	Contract Labor	$3,250
Personnel	Rochelle Boman	$11,200
Personnel	Brent Boman	$0
Total: $14,840		$14,840

Category	Details/Justification
Materials and supplies	Slow release fertilizer - $140 1 bag @ $140 per bag =$140 Slow release granular fertilizer will be furrow applied concurrently with seed at time of planting.
Materials and supplies	Ethalfluralin - $250 1 unit @ $250 per 2.5 gallon =$250 Ethalfluralin is needed to terminate the clover cover crop prior to planting the hemp crop.
Other direct costs	Contract Labor - $3,250 130 hours @ $25 per hour = $3250 Contract labor will be utilized to maintain the walkways in between the 12 project plots and in the seed cleaning process.
Personnel	Rochelle Boman - $11,200 320 hours @ $35 per hour = $11,200 Rochelle will be integral in successful completion of the project from cover crop planting to final report generation. Rochelle is the lead Agronomist and Director of Breeding at AST Genetics.
Personnel	Brent Boman - $0 Brent is the project coordinator and will be responsible for the overall success of the project. He is the equipment operator and will be involved in all aspects of the project from beginning to end.