Mr Shah Nawaz1, Dr Edward Mwando1, Dr Mark Andrew Skewes2, Ms Staci Stanley1, Mr Nick Hartley1
1Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade of the Northern Territory Government, 0828, Australia, 2South Australian Research and Development Institute, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, Australia
Biography:
Shah Nawaz is currently a Research Scientist with the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade of Northern Territory Government and he has ~ 12 years’ experience working with agribusinesses in Australia and overseas. Shah holds M.Sc. in Agronomy with a strong background in crop production, supply chain, and research and development. In his current role, Nawaz is the project lead for the National Industrial Hemp Variety Trial, for the Northern Territory research site and he is involved in cropping projects on dryland cotton, spices (sesame) and dual-purpose peanut.
Abstract:
Globally industrial hemp is known for its versatile industrial applications. However, Australia hemp industry is still in its infancy with little information available on varieties and how they adapted to different climatic zones. This study aims to evaluate the performance of grain and dual-purpose hemp varieties in the unique climatic conditions of Australia’s Northern Territory. A trial was established at Katherine Research Station consisting of eleven varieties including Bialobrzeskie, CRS-1, Fedora-17, Fibror-79, Han Cold, Henola, Orion-33, Ruby, X-59, Yuma and King Gee – planted at three different (sowing) times. The three sowing times were 30th March 27th April and 30th May. Commercial recommendations of crop husbandry were followed through the crop cycle. Agronomic growth parameters including plant height, dry matter, and yield traits were recorded during the trial period. Among all the varieties across three times of sowing, Yuma produced the highest grain yield and dry matter, averaged at 2.3 t/ha and 7 t/ha respectively, while Henola produced lowest grain yield at an average of 0.07 t/ha and X-59 yielded lowest dry matter yield of 1.5 t/ha. April sowing gave higher grain and dry matter yields among all sowing times. This study provides valuable findings on performance of different industrial hemp varieties for cultivation in the Northern Territory, offering guidelines for farmers and industry stakeholders seeking to invest in the hemp industry in the region. Further research on agronomic issues is warranted to improve cultivation practices for enhanced productivity and profitability.