Having a Field Day Talking about Hemp for Biofuel in Maryland

August 04, 2021

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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) For the US agricultural community, having a field day gives farmers and others in the agricultural products value chain the opportunity not only for hands-on learning about new crops and new technologies or about old problems and improving solutions, but also for networking and sharing thoughts, questions and ideas. Converting residual hemp biomass to the building blocks of biofuels and other bioproducts was part of the presentations at this field day.

As part of that tradition, on July 30, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, an 1890 Land Grant historically Black university (HBCU), held the first of three scheduled field days about a topic of rising interest: hemp cultivation and use.

In the welcome shade of a near-by tree, Dr. Moses Kairo, Dean of the School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, greeted the participants, outlined the program and discussed how this program fits into the traditions of both an HBCU and a Land Grant school.

Renewed Life for an Old Crop

As Dr. Sadanand Dhekney, Associate Professor of Plant Breeding, explained, since the 1930s in the US, hemp cultivation has been restricted along with marijuana/cannabis which is classified as a federally controlled substance with severe penalties for its production, possession and use. Therefore, although the plant itself is certainly not new, its cultivation and breeding for medical (CBD (cannabinoids) and “medical marijuana”) uses or for other purposes such as use of its fiber, seeds or biomass is just emerging.

Throughout the day, Dhekney and other speakers repeatedly reinforced the need for innovation and discovery about hemp, whether talking about pests, diseases and weed management or discussing use of the various parts of the plants. They also provided hands-on lessons about each of these topics as the attendees walked the university’s hemp research fields.

The UMES Industrial Hemp Pilot Research Program, in its 2021 Field Variety Trial, includes 50 varieties with 10 individual plants of each variety planted in about an acre plot on the UMES agricultural campus. These varieties were planted in mixed combinations in 10 rows of 50 plants each using standard research methods for variety trials. This technique was similar to the UMES field trial a few years ago testing energy beets as a possible renewable jetfuel feedstock and reported on here.

The purpose of this field trial is “to obtain information that will better inform Maryland’s hemp farmers on how to grow, when to harvest and what yields to expect from a hemp crop.”

Growing Interest

The number of interested farmers and others necessary to creating a new industry is growing.

When medical marijuana production and use was decriminalized and regulated in Maryland a few years ago, industrial hemp regulations were also created and required farmers interested in growing this crop to be enrolled in the Maryland Hemp Research Pilot Program which was available for growers interested in partnering with an institute of higher education or the Maryland Department of Agriculture for research purposes.

In 2020, the Maryland Department of Agriculture adopted new regulations that expand the state’s industrial hemp program and establish industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity.

Now, Maryland growers interested in growing hemp have the opportunity to participate in two programs, the Maryland Hemp Farming Program or the Maryland Hemp Research Pilot Program. The new Maryland Hemp Farming Program is open to growers who want to produce and cultivate hemp for commercial purposes.

UMES, being an agricultural school with a respected pharmacy program, was a natural resource for these entrepreneurs and began its program with six partners in 2019. It has grown to nine partners in 2021 and has developed connections to hemp and cannabis growers from the Eastern Shore through the agricultural areas near Washington, DC and Baltimore to the Western Maryland mountains.

The full program extends from research on growing to processing, marketing and selling. For example, Erik Lindsay, the Variety Trial Coordinator, spoke about evaluation of the various varieties for cannabinoid production. The buds from last year’s hemp crop were processed into CBD that was donated to the university and used with reported good results by individuals suffering from cancer and mobility difficulties.

In-Person Observations in the Field

In the field, Dr. Simon Zebelo, Associate Professor of Entomology, talked about insect pest management, as he guided participants through the field pointing out examples of pests and their destruction. He also had small containers to pass around with examples of the sucking insects and chewing insects in different stages of their lives.

He explained how a particular worm/caterpillar after feasting on corn and soybeans will move to near-by hemp fields. The timing is perfect for them. Once the corn and soybeans are harvested, the hemp buds are developing so that the worms now move to them to lay eggs in the heart of the hemp flower. The worms hatch in a lovely spot where their mothers have left them with plenty of nourishment. Not only does this damage the buds from being eaten from the inside out, but the critters also leave their remains and excrement in them posing serious problems for the UMES researchers to study.

Dr. Behnam Khatabi, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, pointed out evidence of various pathogens and diseases and explained how they are studied and managed with other crops.

For example, it is understood that plants can carry viruses in their seeds; thus, it is important for growers to purchase and use only seeds that are certified pathogen-free.

Another way to try to avoid this problem is to grow from tissue cultures, commonly referred to as cloning. This requires taking small parts of known healthy plants and cultivating them in growing rooms or green houses until they are strong enough to plant in fields.

Powdery mildew is a particular problem on the humid Eastern Shore. Grey mold (Botrytis cinerea) along with Fusarium wilt and root rot are common diseases identified as especially destructive pathogens, referred to by Khatabi as the potential “killers of the hemp and cannabis industry.”

The long-term goal of UMES research is to identify fungal pathogens attacking the hemp plants in Maryland and to introduce clean pathogen-free plant material.

Just as the hemp growers don’t want neighboring corn and soybean fields to share their pathogens, they don’t want to share their diseases either. UMES is working to identify best practices and products that might be able to address these challenges.

And, challenges they are because at this time, as Zebelo, Khatabi and other speakers noted, there are no registered pesticides or herbicides for hemp plants to help combat these invaders. They hope to remedy that in a year or so.

Michel Foland, the Agricultural Technician in charge of the hemp crop management, was thrilled to be working at UMES on these trials which he described as “vertically integrated” because they include not only agronomy, plant cultivation, harvesting and pest and disease management. They also include the development and production of multiple commercial products along with attention to market development and sales and business aspects throughout the value chain. And, as he noted, the extra reward of seeing what you have produced working to alleviate medical problems, “seeing it work.”

During an informal discussion, Foland gave examples of the value of this extensive collaboration among a variety of experts and departments. He noted the valuable exchange of information and observations from the people working on the medical products end of the value chain, and the back and forth conversations and investigations with those working on developing and measuring traits and challenges of the growing and harvested plants.

Beyond the Field: Production, Sale, Use of All Parts of the Plant

One particular benefit Foland mentioned that is unique to the hemp industry is to have analytical chemists constantly testing the plants to identify the levels of the cannabinoids as they develop over time, noting how that relates to the amount of sunlight and other factors related to the formation of these characteristics.

Not only is this important for identifying optimal harvest times to maximize CBD products; but also to understand the development of THC which is federally regulated. If the plant tests beyond a legal limit, the grower will be in violation of licenses and regulations with serious consequences. For those producing hemp for CBD, this is crucial information and a key part of the research program. In fact, at least one of the attendees at the field day represented this aspect of the hemp/cannabis business: regulatory compliance.

Atlantic Biomass’s Bob Kozak continued the discussion of products that can be made from hemp or cannabis production by introducing a potential co-product that many don’t initially consider: biofuels and bioproducts from waste or residual biomass.

Commercial design and testing for this UMES project is currently being funded by a Maryland Energy Innovation Seed Grant.

Since only the buds from female plants are used for medical products, the leaves and stems are left over. In addition, male plants in the field must be carefully uprooted and removed from the field to avoid pollination of female plants and to prevent production of unwanted seeds.

Atlantic Biomass has developed an enzymatic process that converts biomass into useful sugars: glucose, arabinose, xylose and galacturonic acid. Atlantic Biomass and UMES, in collaboration with Hood College in Frederick, MD and with researchers at the agricultural campus at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences are developing a system that garnered a lot of interest from attendees.

It takes that left over harvested hemp or cannabis biomass and processes it into the sugars that can then be used to make fuels such as renewable jetfuel (sustainable aviation fuel/SAF), ethanol or bio-polyethylene to make plastic.

They are designing the system to be portable for use on-site at medical cannabis facilities. This brings not only the value of an additional product to that business, but also serves as a way to comply with strict regulations regarding cannabis waste management. Enzymatic conversion of leaves, and stems to sugars can be part of their required waste management program, thus part of a circular economy as well as a bioeconomy. A prototype system that would be located at UMES is planned for the next phase of the MEI grant.

To date, tests on hemp biomass have used samples available from the UMES research fields and greenhouses. As a result of networking at the field day, they are in discussions for testing samples from private fields in other parts of the state, as well.

In addition to being an additional source of income, this process could also serve as a way to manage risk should any of the challenges facing a grower or producer in a start-up industry with a volatile market. If the crop is ruined by weather, pests or diseases; if the crop exceeds the permitted level of THC; if the bottom falls out of the market; then obtaining some income from converting the waste and residue to a valuable, marketable product could cushion market downturns.

Looking to the Future

A number of attendees were still in the initial stages of developing business plans and investigating whether this is an option they want to choose as they look at farmland that they own or are considering buying. Many commented on the extraordinary value they were getting from hearing not only about the promise of this new and developing industry, but also about its agriculture-related growing pains and about realistic, practical challenges they will face if they get into this business.

Even in the 90 degree heat, people did have a field day learning, sharing thoughts and questions, and getting to know others who shared their interests in tackling a new, promising adventure.

As one of the UMES speakers noted, they know a whole lot more than they did three years ago when they started the program, including having gained a greater appreciation of what they don’t know and the myriad of problems and opportunities that merit more attention.

*Joanne Ivancic serves as executive director of Advanced Biofuels USA.

Updated 8/4/2021.

Cannabis Waste Disposal for Growers, Manufacturers & Retailers (Triumvirate Environmental)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Maryland’s Hemp Farming Program & Hemp Research Pilot Program (Maryland Department of Agriculture)

2021 Maryland Hemp Program (Maryland Department of Agriculture)

UMES Hemp Field Tours — July 30, August 27 and September 30, 2021 — Princess Anne, MD (University of Maryland Eastern Shore)

Cannabis Waste Composting: New company collects marijuana waste from growers, processors and dispensaries, and composts the material in an in-vessel system. (BioCycle Magazine)

UMES' industrial hemp field trial provides farmers with knowledge for successful cultivation (University of Maryland Eastern Shore)

UMES hemp field trial encourages new cash crop for farmers (Bay to Bay News/Salisbury Independent)

HEMP INDUSTRY PRESENTS RISKY BUSINESS: The stakes are high, business is tricky, but hemp still has a positive outlook for farmers interested in growing. (AgWeb)

Greener pastures: Marijuana jobs are becoming a refuge for retail and restaurant workers -- An estimated 321,000 Americans now work in the legal cannabis industry, outnumbering the country’s dentists, paramedics and electrical engineers. (Washington Post)

How HBCUs Are Preparing Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering Students to Tackle Climate Change (U.S. Black Engineer page 37)