The effect of N and P fertilization on growth, seed yield and quality of industrial hemp in the Parkland region of Saskatchewan

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) has sparked renewed interest in western Canada in recent years, and there is very little research information available on its fertilizer requirements. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of surface-broadcast ammonium nitrate and seedrow placed monoammonium phosphate fertilizers on the production and seed quality attributes of industrial hemp (cv. Fasamo and Finola). Field experiments were conducted on a Black Chemozem silty loam soil at Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Increasing N rates significantly increased plant height, biomass, seed yield and seed protein content of hemp in all years. Seed-applied P fertilizer increased plant height in all years, and biomass in 2000, but reduced plant density, biomass and seed yield in 2001 and 2002. Finola consistently had lower plant height, earlier maturity, heavier seeds, and higher seed yield, seed protein content and seed oil content than Fasamo. The average amount of nitrate-N in the 0-60 cm soil was 40 kg N ha(-1). Seed yield kg(-1) of N was 9.4, 5.9, 4.5 and 3.7 kg ha(-1) for Fasamo, and 10.6, 7.7, 6.0 and 4.5 kg ha-1 for Finola, respectively, at 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha(-1) of soil plus fertilizer N.