Chinese hemp (Seed production) coming along nicely.
4th generation Chinese hemp (Seed production)
On these plants you can clearly see it's been selected purely for it's seeds (as big as a pea) and not for Cannabinoid production.
Very little to no smell, strong growth with very light buds and plenty of space for seed production.
These came directly from China in a trail mix packet. My mate is trying to get them accustomed to our local conditions for future use on an industrial scale.... A fun little experiment with the added benefit of a supplementary treat for his goats and cattle. There are many other cultivars better suited for commercial use (grain production), but these were available. :P
We need more people in South Africa cultivating and adapting hemp seeds for our high-stress growing conditions that aren't chasing the CBD train. Many people growing hemp for CBD production in South Africa are noticing that because of the UV stress combined with our temperatures, their crops are testing positive for THC with low CBD. The South African industry is facing challenges regarding not only the Law but the climate as well.
Solutions are waiting to be found, until then people must realize that growing this magical crop has it's challenges and growing industrial hemp for anything but CBD is the real solution. My Mate's plan is to get some Hemp seeds for fibre production and doing a patch to be processed by hand for a little educational project. Processing equipment is key for a practical and economically viable crop production, which due to various reasons, is mostly non-existent here and needs to be designed and tested before these products can become available to the public.
Fun Times indeed... #WatchThisSpace
Very interesting that the plant is making THC to combat the UV rays. This is something that needs to be studied more deeply.
Well... UV is a popular grow hack for regular weed... so it seems totally plausible.