Oral Presentation Fourth Biennial Australian Industrial Hemp Conference 2024

Growers thinking of producing hemp for grain or bulk should carefully consider whether their enterprise is adequately suited to the season in mind with ready access to advice, information on the varieties, broadacre grain production equipment and handling systems. For growing an optimal crop, consider ticking everything in the following checklist:

 

1. Check if you are allowed to grow a hemp crop.

 

1. Check if you are a suitable grower. 

 

1. Check if you can source seed. 

 

1. Check if you know your variety's planting date. 

 

It is important to note that at latitudes less than 30 degrees, the floral initiation trigger of declining day length will start to get dominated via an accumulated heat unit trigger. This phenomenon still needs to be better understood and complicates sowing date advice. Each variety responds differently. This information applies to Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the top half of Western Australia. In true tropics with a latitude of less than 23.5 degrees, there will be a variety suitable for sowing on any calendar date.

 

1. Check if your farm and proposed paddock(s) meet the crop requirements for soils and environment.

 

1. Check and, identify and engage a trusted agronomic advisor to assist with decision-making support. Ideally, this will be a person with local knowledge.

 

1. Check if you have a suitable planting machine for sowing the hemp.

 

1. Check and identify who will harvest the hemp crop and secure a commitment from the contractor at an agreed price. 

 

1. Check if, for grain crops, you can access suitable post-harvest pre-cleaning, seed drying, cleaning and grading facilities within two hours of road transport. 

 

1. Check if, for bulk crops, you can access suitable mowing, raking and baling equipment via purchasing or contracting.

 

1. Check if you can manage your weeds. 

 

1. Check if you can keep up enough water supply for your crop. 

 

1. Check if you can access soil moisture indicators/probes for scheduling irrigation.

 

1. Check if you have enough water. Allow approximately 3-5 megalitres (ML) of irrigation and/or effective rainfall per hectare to grow a grain crop. 

 

1. Check if your intended paddock has a suitable slope and drainage.

1. Check if you can supply the proper soil nutrition. 

 

1. Check for your soil pH and associated problems that can come when soil is outside pH (pH CaCl2) 5.8 to 7.5. 

 

1. Check if you have contacted the proposed grain/bulk buyer to arrange a planting contract and seed allocation.

 

Once you have these checkpoints ticked, proceed with your crop.