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The Many Benefits Of Hemp Agriculture
Hemp is the most environmentally positive crop, improving soil quality as it grows. It requires no herbicides and is naturally resistant to insects, fungus, and other pests. Hemp grows rapidly during its vegetative period, becoming tall and thick. It suppresses weeds, and shades and mulches the ground, which its deep taproots break up and aerate. These attributes promote healthy microbial soil life and leave the earth in a condition where it is easily worked and able to retain moisture during the next growing season.
Requirements Of Hemp Agriculture Hemp is so gentle on the land that it can be grown year after year in the same location, although this is not the most ecological option and is not permitted in organic cultivation (according to the stringent European Union organic certification regulations that we follow in our organic cultivation). It is best for fiber hemp to be cultivated in rotation with cereal crops and legumes. In fact, cereal crops will yield an extra 15-25% when cultivated after fiber hemp, because hemp eliminates competing weeds and improves the health of the soil. Crop rotation with hemp works well, since the ground is usually available for other crops by the middle of August. Legumes such as soybeans are the best preceding crop, because they add to the soil a lot of nitrogen, the basic building block of plant growth. Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for hemp production, since hemp reaches a height of 10 to 12 feet during its short growing season of less than five months. Supplying sufficient nitrogen is a big challenge with organic hemp agriculture, and the use of artificial chemical fertilizers is prohibited in organic agriculture. This requirement of nitrogen can be resolved with proper cover cropping, rotation, and, if needed, the addition of manure.
GlobalAware promotes environmentally sustainable solutions.
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