Two University of Kentucky plant researchers weigh in on the best practices for hemp greenhouse sanitation to help minimize the source of infectious pathogens.
Pathogens, such as fungi and bacteria, can cause severe losses in greenhouse and field hemp. Under greenhouse conditions, which are typically warm and humid, pathogens can infect and spread rapidly. Infective propagules (e.g. bacterial cells, fungal spores, survival structures) can stem from infected plant materials, infested potting media, irrigation water, and greenhouse equipment.
When producers neglect disease management, pathogen populations build up and increase the risk for yield loss. In addition, plant debris and soil particles can harbor overwintering propagules for months or years.
Sanitation is an essential component of disease management. The following list of hemp greenhouse sanitation do’s and don’ts can help minimize the source of infectious pathogens.
1. Discard heavily infected plants, particularly those with untreatable diseases. Removing infected plants from the greenhouse can help minimize the source and spread of pathogen propagules. Diseases such as root rots and vascular wilts are difficult to treat, so it's best to destroy plants infected with them immediately.
3. Prune infected tissues and remove all clippings from the greenhouse. Similar to removing infected plants, pruning infected tissues (e.g., buds and leaves) can reduce sources of certain pathogens, such as Botrytis tip blight (Botrytis cinerea) and powdery mildew (Golovinomyces spadiceus) pathogens.
4. Remove weeds and volunteer plants to prevent the establishment of a “green bridge” between crops. Many plant species can establish a “green bridge,” meaning they become hosts for disease agents and allow pathogens to survive until a more suitable one becomes available. Remove entire plants, including roots of alternative hosts.
5. Clean and sanitize all surfaces to prevent carryover from one cropping season to the next. Sanitize pots, benches, floors, and tools. Use a commercial disinfectant such as quaternary ammonia compounds (Green-Shield, Quattro, Physan), 10% bleach, peroxide (Oxidate, Terraclean), or 10% Lysol concentrated disinfectant. (See chart below for more information.) Bleach and peroxide are corrosive, so growers should rinse tools after 5 to 10 minutes of exposure. Excess soil and plant debris on floors and benches should be removed prior to disinfestation.
6. Sanitize irrigation systems. Install a water-treatment system if using recycled water. Flush irrigation lines with disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid, or quaternary ammonium compound between crop cycles to remove propagules that may have moved into water lines and emitters.
7. Clean, clean, clean. Use sanitizing footbath mats to prevent movement of propagules to clean areas. Work in clean zones before moving to infected zones or quarantined areas. Clean tools and equipment between zones or blocks.
1. Do not leave cuttings and culled plants in the greenhouse. Pathogens may overwinter or continue to multiply in debris. Infected plant material should be buried, burned, or placed in cull piles that are located at least 100 yards from the greenhouse. All cull piles will eventually need to be burned. Do not compost diseased cuttings or soil because incomplete composting (temperatures below 160° F) may result in propagule survival.
2. Do not reuse soil or potting media, and do not bring outside soil into the greenhouse. Many soilborne pathogens can remain dormant in soil for months or years. Growers should consider pasteurization and/or sterilization if they want to recycle media or use field soil.
3. Do not move tools or equipment between zones without prior cleaning or disinfestation. Greenhouse tools and equipment can be a means for propagule dissemination. Set up a cleaning zone or washing station, if possible.
4. Do not drag hoses and other tools along floors. Infested soil and plant debris can stick to wet surfaces and be moved to clean areas.
Additional information can be found on the University of Kentucky publication page.
The partnership with Dakota Hemp will allow the Kansas-based SBIH to increase hemp hurd and fiber availability across the country.
South Bend Industrial Hemp (SBIH), a Kansas-based company that grows and processes its own hemp for grain, fiber, and CBD, has partnered with Dakota Hemp LLC to increase industrial hemp processing capacity in the Midwest.
Dakota Hemp is a cultivator located in Wakonda, South Dakota. In a press release, SBIH said the goal of the partnership is to increase hemp hurd and fiber availability while decreasing shipping costs based upon customer location.
“John Peterson [owner of Dakota Hemp] and his team are top-notch South Dakota farmers and soon-to-be processors. This was a natural progression to where we feel the hemp industry needs to go to be successful: small regional facilities working together to build the supply chain and service farmers across the Midwest,” said Melissa Nelson, co-owner of SBIH, in a news release.
RELATED: How South Bend Industrial Hemp is Expanding the Crop's Horizons
SBIH opened its decortication facility in June of 2021, making it the first fiber processing facility in the state. The decorticator can run at a capacity of 1.8 tons per hour.
Last year, SBIH partnered with growers across Kansas, along with some in Oklahoma and Nebraska, to grow 1,000 acres of hemp for fiber. Of those acres, SBIH grew 160 for dual-purpose fiber and grain production. (SBIH has a 2,500-acre farm on which the team also grows crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and milo.)
In 2021, South Dakota ranked no. 8 in most acres of hemp harvested in the country, with 1,700 total. Kansas ranked no. 18 with 400 acres harvested total
House Bill 1292 also implements a 21+ age limit for HHC and THC-O acetate.
South Dakota has implemented an age limit on intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids.
Gov. Kristi Noem recently signed House Bill 1292, which limits sales of delta-8 THC, THC-O acetate and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) to people 21 or older.
Another bill moving through the state earlier in the legislative session sought to outlaw the substances altogether, reports Keloland Media Group. However, Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, who introduced the bill, told the outlet she believes “responsible regulation to support a safe environment” was a better approach.
H.B. 1292 initially focused only on delta-8, but it was expanded to other cannabinoids with input from the cannabis and hemp industry.
Are delta-9 products an opportunity for a struggling hemp industry, or do they cross a legal line? Companies and lawyers weigh in.
Within the last several months, U.S. hemp companies have begun adding new products that feature a familiar cannabinoid: delta-9 THC.
These products, which have surfaced online and in stores, are being marketed as hemp-derived and federally compliant under the 2018 Farm Bill. While delta-9 is the cannabinoid that distinguishes hemp from its federally illegal counterpart, cannabis, companies that have begun selling these hemp-derived products—including Boston Hemp, LiftedMade, Exhale Wellness, Mr. Hemp Flower, and more—say their products remain under the 0.3% THC limit set for hemp.
Edibles are popular products in this market, with common serving sizes ranging from 5 to 15 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving. Some products contain hundreds of milligrams of delta-9 in each package.
As these products begin to increase in popularity, so does the conversation of their legal status and whether they present a market opportunity for hemp businesses.
Sky Marketing Corp., which does business as Hometown Hero, introduced a line of hemp-derived delta-9 products last year. The company sells hemp-derived delta-9 products through its website and in retail stores it partners with across the country, according to Lukas Gilkey, CEO and co-founder of Hometown Hero.
RELATED: Inside Texas' Delta-8 Ban: Retailers are Fighting Back
“Almost all of our products include some amount of hemp-derived [delta-9] THC, as that molecule is naturally present in the hemp plant, but we specifically began offering customers products with delta-9 THC derived from hemp as the primary cannabinoid over the last several months,” Gilkey said in an email. “The core line of products in this category are what we refer to as ‘select spectrum’ and contain 10 mg of CBD and 10 mg of hemp-derived delta-9 THC, and [we] have since expanded the [delta-9] category to include live rosin offerings.”
Hometown Hero also offers other edible products that feature delta-9 THC as the predominant cannabinoid, such as its Delta 9 Squares, which contain 300 mg of THC per package.
Gilkey added that the company uses third-party labs to test all of its products to ensure they are compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill and do not exceed the federal 0.3% delta-9 THC limit on a dry-weight basis.
“Because all of our products come from farm bill-compliant hemp plants and are themselves compliant, we are confident our products do not fall into any category of illegal controlled substances,” Gilkey said. “Similar to other hemp-derived consumable products across the U.S., our select spectrum and live rosin products focus on customized formulations of select cannabinoids sourced from hemp plants, which, again, along with our finished products, do not exceed the legal limit of 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight.”
Gilkey said Hometown Hero CBD had received some pushback from the adult-use cannabis industry and stakeholders within the hemp industry for selling these products.
“It often seems as though our counterparts in the marijuana industry are frustrated because of the stricter regulations, as well as the higher taxes and fees they have to deal with versus what they believe we have to deal with in the hemp industry,” Gilkey said, adding that the company goes to “great lengths” to self-regulate.
“... While many of the steps we take related to the production and sale of our products are not mandated by any laws, we strongly believe it’s important to self-regulate and that consumer access is critical,” he said. “We support reasonable regulations, and where regulations are lacking, we step up and fill that gap with our own requirements.”
Gilkey also noted there are challenges when marketing any consumable hemp products like this—i.e. delta-8, delta-10, CBD, etc.—especially because regulations vary across state lines.
"We continue to wait for the FDA to provide industry guidance with regard to food, drinks, and dietary supplements,” he said.
Despite industry pushback, Gilkey said hemp-derived delta-9 sales have been doing well. “Sales for our select spectrum products have been and continue to be very strong, especially as awareness of their availability builds among consumers,” he said. “... We are honored to be able to provide access to high-quality, lab-tested hemp-derived [delta-9] products that are clearly something consumers have been in search of.”
Companies have been able to create these delta-9 products by using the 0.3% THC limit to their advantage—they simply make their products weigh enough using other ingredients to remain within that limit.
Still, debate remains over congressional intent when legalizing hemp and how exactly a “dry-weight” basis is measured.
In September 2021, Hemp Grower spoke with two attorneys in the hemp and cannabis space to gather their insights on the legality of hemp-derived delta-9 products.
RELATED: Delta-9 in Edible Hemp Products: What’s a ‘Dry Weight Basis’ Anyway?
Shawn Hauser, partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm’s Hemp and Cannabinoids Department, said she thinks these products violate the majority of state hemp laws and the federal law, adding that the definition of hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill “was meant to apply to on-farm biomass, not finished products, and that the [FDA] still has to come up with a way to account for the weight and moisture of other ingredients in finished products,” HG reported.
“It appears that these companies are looking at the 0.3% by dry-weight standard that’s in the farm bill and determining the legality of their products,” Hauser said. “And the inherent flaw with that [interpretation] is that [the 2018 Farm Bill] said, ‘a dry-weight basis.’ That, by nature, doesn’t account for moisture and the weight of the gummy material, or whatever is in the oil.”
On the other side of the argument is Rod Kight, principal and founder at Kight Law Office, who believes some products with high amounts of hemp-derived delta-9 are legal. Kight pointed out that the 2018 Farm Bill removed THC in hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, HG reported.
“Additionally, and importantly, the water weight must be removed in the calculation since the 2018 Farm Bill measures THC concentrations on a ‘dry weight’ basis,” Kight said. “In practical terms, this means that some products, such as gummies, will be easier and more cost-effective to manufacture compliantly than other types of products, such as bottled water.”
When asked about Hometown Hero's take on the legality of these products, Gilkey said he is “confident” the company’s products are not considered controlled substances. He added that it’s “groundbreaking” for consumers to now have greater access to different products they may need for various purposes. In addition, Gilkey said development of these products "opens the door for some much-needed research and development in the medical and wellness spaces.”
“If there is one thing we believe everyone on both sides of the table can agree on, it’s that we want and need consumable products to be regulated for the safety of all–just like other adult products like tobacco and alcohol,” Gilkey said.
Moreover, Gilkey said delta-9 sales have been another avenue to help the hemp industry, which has still been stifled by oversupply and lack of regulations.
“There can be no denying that the consumable hemp market has helped hemp farmers and has increased the industry’s economic potential,” Gilkey said.
Judge Craig Schwall issued a 30-day restraining order against Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson, prohibiting her from further prosecuting individuals who sell or possess specific cannabis extracts.
Delta-8 raids in Gwinnett County, Ga., have temporarily halted.
In January, Gwinnett County District Attorney (DA) Patsy Austin-Gatson’s office issued a warning stating businesses selling, possessing, or distributing delta-8 and delta-10 products risk prosecution and felony charges. The notice already led to a multi-force task agency raiding Elements Distribution, a vape and smoke shop distribution center in Gwinnett County, Ga., for delta-8 products earlier this month, Hemp Grower previously reported.
RELATED: Lawsuit Filed in Georgia Argues Delta-8 and Delta-10 Products are Legal Under State Law
Following the raid, Pate, Johnson and Church, an Atlanta law firm, filed a lawsuit against the Gwinnett County DA, arguing that delta-8 and delta-10 are legal under the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. Now, the lawsuit has led a Georgia judge to file a restraining order against Austin-Gatson.
Fulton County Superior Judge Craig Schwall issued a 30-day restraining order March 18 against Austin-Gatson, prohibiting her from further prosecuting individuals who sell or possess those extracts, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
“I have concerns that this may or may not be a rogue DA,” Schwall told the AP. “I think there may be some prosecutorial priorities misplaced.”
According to the AP, neighboring counties have not banned delta-8 or delta-10.
“There’s a lot of confusion,” Page Pate, an attorney working on the lawsuit, told the AP. “Let’s not prosecute people and take all their stuff if there’s a legitimate question that it’s legal.”
Data from the USDA's recent Hemp Acreage and Production Survey breaks down acres planted and acres harvested in each state.View More