{"id":12931,"date":"2022-02-28T09:38:10","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T14:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences-new\/?p=12931"},"modified":"2022-03-23T11:50:57","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T15:50:57","slug":"fiber-hemp-haute-or-hype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cals.ncsu.edu\/crop-and-soil-sciences\/news\/fiber-hemp-haute-or-hype\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiber Hemp: Haute or Hype?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the 2010\u2019s CBD frenzy, hemp became a four-letter word to some North Carolina farmers. Those who dove deep on CBD hemp struggled with losses when regulations mounted and contracts failed to materialize. But hemp is a plant of a thousand uses and <\/span>fiber hemp<\/span><\/i>, CBD hemp\u2019s fashionable cousin, may offer NC farmers a reliable, sustainable alternative crop. Spurred by a new NC Department of Agriculture-funded grant, North Carolina State University researchers are fine-tuning fiber hemp production practices to revitalize NC\u2019s textile runway.<\/span><\/p>\n

North Carolina\u2019s long history in textile production centers on cotton as the dominant fiber source, but fiber hemp is getting a foot in the door. With its versatile applications from fine apparel to building materials, fiber hemp\u2019s lure as a sustainable, full-use plant is gaining a foothold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five fiber hemp processors have already emerged across the state, from Wilmington to Concord. But the supply of locally-grown fiber hemp is not equating to demand, mostly due to a lack of appropriate varieties.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Study Spotlights Adapted Varieties\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

NC State researchers began studying fiber hemp varieties in 2018 and experienced the same poor results as the state\u2019s few fiber hemp farmers: low yields and correlated high expenses. But in 2021, a swap to Australian and Chinese fiber hemp varieties better suited to NC\u2019s climate changed the crop\u2019s outlook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences\u2019 assistant professor David Suchoff is the project lead.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have farmers who have been trying to grow fiber hemp for a number of years,\u201d Suchoff said. \u201cWe now have genetics from China and Australia that are bred specifically for textile-grade fiber that can be spun\/woven into garments or other textiles-related products.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Suchoff\u2019s current study plans to layer on to the initial variety gains in three ways: production best practices, weed management, and fiber quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Low-biomass hemp varieties don’t meet economic thresholds for NC farmers. Photo courtesy of Brett Winter Lemon from Hemp Grower Magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maximizing Biomass<\/span><\/h2>\n

The new varieties Suchoff trialed in 2021 showed a 400-600% yield improvement over the diminutive 2018 varieties. This year his group will conduct field trials of eight fiber hemp varieties at three research stations evaluating planting dates and biomass yield.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, we demonstrated that NC could easily match or exceed global production averages,\u201d Suchoff said. \u201cThis project takes a collaborative approach working with local farmers, agronomists, and textile specialists to determine which varieties yield the best fiber product in NC.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And it is a promising crop. Unlike CBD hemp, fiber hemp is planted at high densities, and management is fully mechanized resulting in fractional costs ($300\/acre vs $14,00\/acre for CBD hemp).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo far we have not seen any significant insect pest or disease pressure in fiber hemp, which greatly reduces the need for pesticides,\u201d Suchoff said. \u201cAnd the massive amount of biomass produced may also mean that producing the crop can help sequester carbon. But our understanding of fiber hemp genetics, especially as it relates to fiber quality, is in its infancy compared with cotton.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The regionally-adapted varieties trialed in 2021 significantly outproduced previous crops.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taming Weed Pressure<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest challenges facing fiber hemp producers is weed management. There are currently no labeled herbicides for use in hemp. While that may change as the industry develops, Suchoff\u2019s study is investigating cover crops to beat the weeds before they start.<\/span>
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\u201cCover crop mulching in no-till systems is successful in other row crops like soybeans and corn,\u201d Suchoff said. \u201cIn addition to weed suppression, cover cropping provides additional agroecosystem services like increased soil organic matter, improved soil moisture, and buffering soil temperature changes. It could give farmers a sustainable tool to manage weeds in a crop where no conventional tools are available.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Refining Fiber Understanding<\/span><\/h2>\n
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A cross-section shows fiber hemp’s thick but hollow stem.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But even with successful biomass production, netting the highest quality fiber is essential to spin off the highest farm revenue — up to $900\/ac based on Suchoff\u2019s initial work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three NC farms will host on-farm trials of the highest producing fiber hemp varieties. In addition to generating agronomic data, the crop\u2019s fiber will be evaluated by NC State\u2019s <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles<\/span><\/a>\u2019 Physical Textiles Laboratory to analyze fiber density, tensile and elongation to determine the overall quality of fiber for textile use.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Suchoff’s team to extract and evaluate their hemp fiber, they need the crop processed. The first step (retting) ages the crop in the field before removing hemp’s tough outer bark through a decorticator. Industrial processing plants handle these stages for commercial crops, but Suchoff needed processing equipment scaled to field trial use. He collaborated with NC State’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering’<\/a>s research shop to manufacture a mobile decorticator ideal for the project.<\/p>\n

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