Annual/Termination Reports:

[06/17/2019] [11/22/2019] [04/30/2020] [02/14/2022] [09/29/2023]

Report Information

Participants

Attendees (in person):
Lesley Oliver, U. Kentucky, lesley.oliver@uky.edu
Jason Griffin, Kansas State, jgriffin@ksu.edu
Kurt Thelen, Michigan State, thelenk3@msu.edu
Jeffrey Steiner, USDA-NIFA, jeffrey.steiner@nifa.usda.gov
Randy Little , Mississippi State, randy.little@msstate.edu
Shelly Thomas, James Madison U., thomas3sl@jmu.edu
Zachary Brym, U. Florida, brymz@ufl.edu
Jared Nelson, SUNY New Paltz, nelsenj@newpaltz.edu
Avat Shekoofa, U. Tennessee, ashekoof@utk.edu
Eric Walker, U. Tennessee, ewalke22@utk.edu
David Williams, U. Kentucky, david.williams@uky.edu
Jen Gilbert Jenkins, Morrisville State College, gilberjk@morrisville.edu
Larry Smart, Cornell U.- Geneva, lbs33@cornell.edu
Taylor McNamara, SUNY Morrisville, taylor.elaine07@gmail.com
John Fike, Virginia Tech, jfike@vt.edu
Christine Smart, Cornell U., cds14@cornell.edu
Rebecca Wilk, Cornell U., rlw284@cornell.edu
Craig Carlson, Cornell U., chc89@cornell.edu
Renyuan Mi, Cornell U., rm974@cornell.edu
Steve Briod Amoor, Cornell U., sb843@Cornell.edu
Jay Noller, Oregon State U., jay.noller@oregonstate.edu
Jamie Crawford, Cornell U., jln15@cornell.edu
Kevin Meyers, Cornell U., klm25@conrell.edu
Jen Starr, Cornell U., jkk26@cornell.edu
Jaime Cummings, Cornell U., jc2246@cornell.edu
Jacob Toth, Cornell U., jat363@cornell.edu
Julie Hansen, Cornell U., jch14@cornell.edu
Steve Wood, Research Foundation for SUNY, steve.wood@rfsnuy.org

(Joining remotely):
Helen Chen UC Riverside, helen.chen@ucr.edu
Jeff Skousen- U West Virginia, Jeff.Skousen@mail.wvu.edu
Bob Hutmacher- UC Davis, rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu
Gerry Berkowitz, U Conn, gerald.berkowitz@uconn.edu
Jeanine Davis, NC State, jeanine_davis@ncsu.edu
Ted Gauthier, LSU, TGauthier@agcenter.lsu.edu
Heather Darby, U Vermont, Heather.Darby@uvm.edu

Brief Summary of Minutes

The inaugural meeting of S1084 was held December 4, 2018 in Geneva, NY.  Following introductions and a welcome from the host, the chair of the S1084 proposal writing committee called the meeting to order. Following comments from the project administrative advisor and NIFA representative the group decided on officers for the project. Attendees provided updates to the status of hemp research in their states and institutions.  Small breakout groups were formed around each of the 4 objectives to discuss plans for coordinating work in the coming year. The group then made plans to hold the next meeting in Lexington, KY in late summer so that field visits could be conducted as part of the meeting.  Details of the discussion and plans can be found in the attached meeting minutes.

Accomplishments

<p>See meeting minutes for details of accomplishments to date and plans for the coming year.</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

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Participants

See attachment for complete list of attendees.

Brief Summary of Minutes

The first day was dedicated to touring field sites, an oil extraction facility and both fiber and food processing companies across the state.  The second day began with introductions and an overview of Kentucky's pilot program from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.  Since so many new states were in attendance at this meeting, states were given an opportunity to update the group of their programs. That was followed by discussions of progress toward each objective, plans for assessing the first year's results and implementation of next year's activities. There was also a discussion of the plans for the upcoming national needs assessment for hemp funded through a USDA NIFA grant to a subset of participants of S1084. 

 

Accomplishments

<p>Detailed information on progress and plans for the coming year can be found in the attached minutes.</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

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Participants

See attached file for complete list of participants.

Brief Summary of Minutes

Members of S1084 met via zoom on March 19, 2020. Following breif comments from our virtual host, project chair, NIFA rep and administrative advisor, there was an indepth disvcussion of the results to date and plans for the coming growing season for each of the 4 objectives. Ther was also a brief update on the plans for the postponed National Hemp Research and Education Conference. Each state on the call then provided a breif update of their efforts.  Following a short discussion of other comments from the group and voting in new officers, the meeting adjourned.

Detailed minutes and slides summarizing progress on the objectives can be found in the attachment.

Accomplishments

<p>Grain and fiber trials (Obj. 1 &amp; 2):</p><br /> <p>Eleven states participated in the 2019 variety trial. Ten varieties were tested and results varied substantially by site. For the participants who reported data, emergence appeared to be a common issue. Quality assessments are still being completed. Though a common set of measurements was agreed upon last year, there was variation in the methods used to make those measurements. A more detailed protocol is being developed for this year&rsquo;s trials.</p><br /> <p>Essential oil trials (Obj. 1 &amp; 2):</p><br /> <p>A protocol was developed for establishing essential oil trials in 2020 at 10 different sites across the U.S. Cultivars are being identified but 6 are being targeted and will include autoflower and full season varieties.</p><br /> <p>Genetics and feral hemp collections (Obj. 3):</p><br /> <p>Participants are working to identify traits of interest among available germplasm. The Cornell group has done some analysis grouping hemp by genotype.&nbsp; Feral hemp collections began with submissions from 5 states. Additional accessions are being sought from member states who are able to collect feral hemp. Cornell is working with the new ARS hemp germplasm repository being established.</p><br /> <p>Economics (Obj 4.):</p><br /> <p>The group compiled state budgets and identified potential gaps for production types and regions. Members also contributed to an ERS report on the economic viability of industrial hemp based on a review of state pilot programs.</p><br /> <p>S1084 members were instrumental in obtaining grant support from USDA to plan and hold a National Hemp Research and Education Conference, which will be held August 3-5 in Fort Collins, CO.</p><br /> <p>More details on accomplishments can be found in the attached minutes and slides.</p>

Publications

<p>MARK, T. B.,&nbsp; J. SHEPHERD, D.W. OLSEN, W. SNELL, S. PROPER, AND S. THORNSBURY. 2020. Economic Viability of Industrial Hemp in the United States: A Review of State Pilot Programs. USDA Economic Research Service EIB-217, February 19, 2020. <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=95929">https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=95929</a></p><br /> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Public Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14.4px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 500; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: #ffffff; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">&nbsp;</span></p>

Impact Statements

1. The National Hemp Research and Education Conference being oragnized by S1084 members will help guide the national research prioriies for funding through USDA and guide future research and extension across the US in response to stakeholder needs.

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Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Members of S1084 met via zoom on February 11, 2021. Following brief comments from the project chair and acceptance of the minutes, a USDA representative provided an update on the US Domestic Hemp Production Program final rule.  NIFA rep also provided a brief update on relevant granting programs that may be of interest. Updates were also provided to the group from organizers of the National Hemp Research & Education Conference, the Pest & Disease Working Group efforts, the dual purpose and essential oil variety trials, the ARS National Hemp Germplasm Repository, and the economic landscape of hemp. 

Attendees then broke out into smaller groups arranged around the 4 primary objectives.  Groups reported out main comments from their sessions and plans for the coming year. This was followed by a discussion of an effort to create a hemp glossary to which the group is asked to contribute.  The last part of the day focused on strategic planning for the coming yeat and beyond, looking toward the next 5-year project proposal which needs to be started next year. 

Detailed minutes can be found in the attachment. Individual state and institution reports can be found at https://research.ca.uky.edu/S1084_reports.

Accomplishments

<p>Grain and fiber trials (Obj. 1 &amp; 2):</p><br /> <p>Expanded the dual purpose variety trial to include 14 universities and 13 entered cultivars, though some site were able to source additional lines. Though there were challenges, particularly with stand establishment, data were collected at several locations. Results identified a few varieties with grains yields of 1500 lbs/acre or more. A couple of locations may have reached an economic threshold for fiber production, did not break more than 2 tons/acre in straw yields. The group will pursue publishing the first 2 years of data.</p><br /> <p>Essential oil trials (Obj. 1 &amp; 2):</p><br /> <p>The essential oil trial involved 14 institutions at 16 locations around the US. Materials are still being analyzed and the Southern region also had establishment problems like those seen in the dual purpose trial. Establishment data seem to indicate that 6&rdquo; spacing and thinning to 12&rdquo; in autoflower varieties or 18&rdquo; for full season types.</p><br /> <p>Genetics &amp; breeding (Obj. 3):</p><br /> <p>Participants continue to identify traits of priority interest for breeding efforts, recognizing these traits may vary by region. The group continues to characterize the phenotypic traits and genetic diversity across germplasm currently in hand among the participants.</p><br /> <p>Pests &amp; diseases (Obj. 1 &amp; 3)</p><br /> <p>This group began cataloging pests and diseases across the participants to evaluate frequency, distribution and impact. Participants are developing a survey to go to growers and diagnosticians to gather a more complete dataset. Assessing cultivar susceptibility in the projects variety trials will help inform resistance characterization in aid of the breeding and genetics group&rsquo;s work. &nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Economics (Obj 4.):</p><br /> <p>A number of participants are developing surveys or other data gathering tools to better understand the industry structure. The group identified the need to better coordinate with the variety trials (Obj. 1 &amp; 2) to better inform the creation of local production budgets.&nbsp; &nbsp;A subset of the group received USDA funding to develop a glossary of terms for common use across the industry as well as federal guidance and state plans. &nbsp;</p><br /> <p>More details on accomplishments can be found in the attached minutes.</p><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Publications

<p>United States Hemp Research and Education Conference special issue. 2021. GCB Bioenergy. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1757-1707.hemp">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1757-1707.hemp</a></p>

Impact Statements

1. S1084 members have contributed to AMS’s rulemaking process for the Hemp Production Program’s Final Rule, ensuring that the rule is compatible with the continuation of university research still needed to ensure a viable hemp industry.

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Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

The first day of the meeting began with a welcome from the project Chair, Heather Darby of University of Vermont and host, John McKay from Colorado State University.

NIFA representatives provided a brief update to the group before a panel of industry representatives provided background about their company or organization and discussed what they see as the key research needs and priorities to move the industry forward. Panelist included Rich Fletcher, New West Genetics; element6 Dynamics and Hemp Feed Coalition, Corbet Hefner from Formation Ag, Wendy Mosher from New West Genetics, Julie Vernor from PanXchange, and Chad Rosen- from Victory Hemp Foods. The group then heard from representatives form ARS units working in hemp, including the Forage Animal Production Research Unit, the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, the Cotton Structure and Quality Unit, and the Plant Genetic Resources Unit.

In-person attendees split into breakout groups to discuss priorities for the next 5 year S1084 proposal.

The second day of the meeting included tours of the USDA National Germplasm Repository on CSU’s campus and the Charlotte’s Web facility.

Detailed minutes are attached for more information.

Accomplishments

<p>S1084 has developed into a nation-wide network of interdisciplinary scientists who regularly collaborate to conduct joint projects, engage stakeholders, and share knowledge and best practices. When the project first started, only a small number of states had active hemp pilot programs. Participants from states that were exploring but had not yet begun hemp research were able to get critical insight from their peers and avoid challenges faced by the earliest pilot programs (e.g., sourcing seed) through participating in S1084.&nbsp; They were also able to access information and guidance from other states to assist their producers while they worked to conduct regionally relevant trials and navigate potential local markets. Despite the difficulties of simply sourcing and distributing seed, accessing germplasm that could be the basis of improved varieties, and serving stakeholders dealing with a highly unstable market and regulatory landscape, S1084 continues to have strong collaborative participation that will stay the course toward developing sustainable and viable opportunities for this versatile crop. Some of the <strong>outputs and activities </strong>that demonstrate the broad reach and activity of this group include:</p><br /> <ul><br /> <li>Members reported 42 peer reviewed research publications and 35 fact sheets/extension publications facilitated as a result of their participation in the project.</li><br /> <li>Reported 36 grant proposals submitted and awards of $10.2 million resulting from their participation in this group.</li><br /> <li>Organized and held a National Hemp Research and Education Conference in 2020. The conference resulted in a special issue of GCB Bioenergy with 5 conference-related articles, including one summarizing results from a national survey of hemp stakeholders conducted by S1084 members in preparation for the conference.</li><br /> <li>Established a protocol for conducting multi-state variety trials in hemp for both dual-purpose and essential oil production.Twelve to fifteen cultivars have been tested at up to 15 locations each growing season for a total of 25 unique cultivars tested at nearly 60 site-year locations attempted over the first four years of this trial. Not all site-years have produced usable data in the early stages but we have refined our methods and gathered valuable information on the adaptability of available cultivars in different regions across the nation.&nbsp; Extension professionals from the multistate project have shared results with stakeholders through factsheets and online reports. A publication summarizing the results for 4 years of the dual-purpose variety trials is in preparation.</li><br /> <li>Distributed the first production budgets available for fiber, grain, and cannabinoid crops. Conducted national surveys of production costs and consumer preferences through leveraged grant funding. Results are being prepared for publication.</li><br /> <li>Leading multiple national surveys of hemp producers and consumers. These surveys are being conducted to identify the regional differences in production costs and practices. In addition, the consumer surveys are being conducted to identify hemp products that consumers are most likely to consume.</li><br /> <li>Completed a national survey of diagnosticians, researchers, and industry to assess the presence and distribution of common diseases and pests in hemp. Responses (n=148) were collected, and results grouped by US region. A manuscript entitled &ldquo;Occurrence and Distribution of Common Diseases and Pests of US Cannabis: A Survey&rdquo; has been submitted to <em>Plant Health Progress</em>.</li><br /> <li>Conducted efficacy trials to identify products that will control diseases of hemp. These trials have identified some fungicides that are effective against specific pathogens and are approved for use on hemp. Multi-state members also surveyed cultivar trials for the presence of disease and insect damage. Because of resistance screening associated with S-1084, we have identified at least one source of resistance to powdery mildew.</li><br /> <li>Leveraged the geographic diversity of S1084 members to develop a collection of feral hemp in an effort to identify non-proprietary genetics of potential interest that could contribute to germplasm improvement efforts. Members have secured NIFA grant support through the Supplemental and Alternative Crops program. S1084 was a partner of the USDA ARS Hemp Germplasm Bank from its establishment and seeds from feral collections will be deposited into the bank and characterized.&nbsp;</li><br /> </ul><br /> <p>The primary benefits of this project result from establishing the base expertise and resources needed to support a long-abandoned crop in a period of resurgence. State regulators, USDA, and producers looked to this group as key source of non-biased information for an industry that was often referred to as the &ldquo;Wild West.&rdquo;&nbsp; It is hard to imagine that as many states would have established pilot research programs prior to the AMS implementation of the final hemp rule had S1084 and its network not existed.</p>

Publications

<p>Munir, M., K. Leonberger, K. Kesheimer, M. Bolt, M. Zuefle, E. Aronson, M. Ricciardi, C. Schluttenhofer, D. Joly, H. S. Smith, J. Coburn, J. F. D. C. Leme Filho, S. I. Rondon, C. D. Smart, A. Collins, A. Garfinkel, and N. A. Gauthier. &nbsp;Occurrence and Distribution of Common Diseases and Pests of U.S. Cannabis: A Survey. Manuscript submitted to <em>Plant Health Progress</em>.</p><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p><br /> <p>Note: other publications reported by S1084 members as resulting from their involvement with this project can be found in the next 5-year S1084 project outline in NIMSS.</p>

Impact Statements

1. Hemp has been touted as a crop with tremendous benefits by its advocates, but S1084’s research-based solutions for cultivation, variety selection and improvement, pest/disease management and stabilizing markets will be needed for hemp to be a viable commercial production option across much of the US. It will also facilitate its role in climate-smart production systems that can sequester carbon and help meet climate change mitigation goals.

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