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569 Hanley Road, Central Point, Oregon 97502, T 541-772-5165
Govinda Shrestha, Hemp Extension Specialist ● Gordon Jones, Agriculture Extension Specialist
Volume 2, Issue 2, July 8, 2022
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Topics Covered in the Newsletter
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Planning a Drought Resilient Hemp Crop;
Wilt Diseases in Hemp and Their Management
in the Pacific Northwest;
Spent Hemp Biomass: Learning About its
Potential as a Livestock Feed;
OSU Undergraduate Students' Engagement to Hemp Research and Extension Program;
News and Updates.
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Planning a Drought Resilient Hemp Crop
By Gordon Jones, Agriculture Extension Specialist, Oregon State University
More than 75% of the land in western states is currently experiencing drought, and this water shortage will challenge producers of most crops including hemp (Figure 1). An unusually wet May and June helped to slake the worst of drought conditions in Oregon, but nonetheless, about 66% of Oregon is currently classified in drought ranging from moderate to exceptional. While scientific studies of water use and irrigation management for hemp continue to be published, several general considerations can be helpful in planning a hemp crop to be resilient to water shortage.
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Figure 1. As of the end of June, more than 75% of the West is experiencing drought. Water shortage will limit the production of many crops including hemp. Figure Source: droughtmonitor.unl.edu
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Wilt Diseases in Hemp and Their Management
in the Pacific Northwest
By C. M. Ocamb, Plant Pathology Extension Specialist,
Oregon State University
Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is susceptible to fungal plant pathogens that induce wilt disease. The fungi that may cause wilt diseases on hemp include Fusarium and Verticillium species. The strains of Fusarium that incite hemp wilt are Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cannabis and F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum. Between these two wilt strains, F. oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum can incite wilt in other crop species including cotton and bean, while F. oxysporum f. sp. cannabis is host specific and causes wilt only on cannabis.
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Figure 1. Hemp plants exhibiting wilting (A). Cross- sections of hemp plants show discoloration of vascular tissues due to a wilt pathogen (B, C). Photo A by G. Shrestha; photos B & C by C.M. Ocamb, Oregon State University.
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Spent Hemp Biomass: Learning About its Potential as a Livestock Feed
By Jenifer Cruickshank, Diary Management Specialist
Oregon State University
The hemp biomass left over after extraction for cannabinoids (spent hemp biomass; SHB) shows potential as a livestock feedstuff. Byproduct feedstuffs are attractive to livestock producers, as they often cost less than traditional livestock feeds such as corn (in silage or grain form). Of course, byproduct feedstuffs also need to contribute nutrients to the diet.
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Figure. A Cow in Hemp Calan Gate
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OSU Undergraduate Students’ Engagement
in Hemp Research and Extension Program
The OSU-SOREC Hemp Research and Extension Program welcomes three OSU undergraduate researchers (Melissa Hudek, Adriana Pérez, and Nora Graham) for the 2022 summer season. The students are working on a variety of hemp- integrated pest management topics. OSU-SOREC Hemp Program is grateful to OSU College of Agricultural Science, Branch Experimental Station (BES) Internship Program for the funding support to hire these students. Following, each of the students describes their experience working with the hemp program.
Melissa Hudek: My name is Melissa Hudek, and I am working with Achala Nepal KC on a Hemp Plant Disease Survey in Southern Oregon as part of my Branch Experiment Station internship. I am majoring in biology and minoring in statistics and chemistry at the OSU Corvallis campus, but I am local to the Central Point/Medford area where the station is located. So far, I have learned so much about hemp production and the pathogens that affect the crop at different growth stages. It has been exciting to travel around Southern Oregon and meet so many farmers and see so many different plant conditions. We process the samples in the lab using techniques taught in the classroom. I have also gotten the chance to learn about pathogens on pear trees and grapevines while at the BES station. It has been a wonderful experience so far and I am looking forward to the rest of the summer.
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Melissa Hudek, working on plant pathogen samples at SOREC plant pathology lab
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Melissa Hudek, taking soil samples from a hemp field
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Adriana Pérez: Hello everyone, my name is Adriana Pérez. I am a senior OSU undergraduate student at the Corvallis campus. I’m majoring in Crop and Soil Science with a focus on Plant Breeding and Genetics. My passion is to research and work on integrated pest management challenges, using both molecular and applied practices. In my Branch Experiment Station Internship Program, it has been exciting to work with Govinda Shrestha to learn how to identify insect pests and beneficials on hemp plants; utilize hemp insect pest monitoring techniques (such as yellow sticky traps and pheromone traps), and monitor hemp pollen and pathogens using pathogen spore traps. Besides learning the hemp research activities, I’m excited about an opportunity to visit several hemp farms in Jackson and Josephine counties, interact with hemp growers, and understand hemp production and pest management challenges. Again, thank you BES internship program for providing this opportunity.
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Adriana Pérez, identifying insects on yellow sticky traps collected from hemp fields
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Adriana Pérez, checking corn earworm moths in a Heliothis Trap
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Nora Graham: My name is Nora Graham and I’m a horticulture student from OSU. For my horticulture degree, I’m focusing on the ecological management of turf, landscape, and urban horticulture. However, during my summer internship at SOREC with Rick Hilton and Govinda Shrestha, I have the opportunity to assist in entomology research focused on biocontrols in hemp, pears, and vineyards. This has been an exciting internship opportunity for me as I’m learning how plants and insects interact, as well as doing biocontrol research to help growers to manage their pest problems in Southern Oregon.
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Nora Graham, initiating the aphid colonies for biocontrol research
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Nora Graham, transplanting hemp seedlings for hemp production research
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