Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research
Abstract
Effective germination and vigorous growth of hemp cultivars is paramount to cultivators’ ability to produce high-quality hemp products. Beneficial bacteria and fungi are known symbionts to plants and are used in regenerative agriculture to increase plant health and crop yield. This pilot study investigated the effect of microbial seed inoculation on germination rate, plant height, cured flower weight, and cannabinoid content of cannabidiol (CBD)-rich hemp (Cannabis sativa L). The experiment included a control and the following treatments: 1) seed inoculation of Great White â Premium Mycorrhizae (GW), 2) seed inoculation of vermicompost (V), and 3) seed inoculation of Great White â Premium Mycorrhizae and vermicompost (GW+V). There were no significant differences for germination rate or plant height across treatments. For cured flower weight, the GW+V and V groups had increased cured flower weight by 29.0% and 43.0%, respectively, while the GW treatment had 4.4% more weight than the control group. Preliminary results indicate that the GW+V and V treatments had higher total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD content than the control at 17.6% and 19.0%, and 17.6% and 12.1%, respectively. These results suggest further investigation is needed to determine if seed inoculation is advantageous for hemp cultivators.
Recommended Citation
Boyer, Hannah; Wagner, Nicole; and Drewery, Merritt
(2023)
"Effectiveness of mycorrhizae and vermicompost seed inoculation for germination, vegetative growth, cannabinoid content, and cured flower weight of CBD-rich hemp (Cannabis sativa L.),"
Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61611/2688-5182.1021
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/jahr/vol3/iss1/1
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons, Horticulture Commons