Fertility management for industrial hemp production: Current knowledge and future research needs

Until recently, commercial cultivation of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) was illegal in the United States. Industrial hemp is cultivated for multiple purposes including fiber, seed, and biomass production; each requiring a different agronomic system which may require different nutrient and fertility recommendations. However, there is limited peer-reviewed research available on hemp plant fertility requirements and soil-nutrient removal. This essentially multiplies the research effort needed to generate scientifically sound fertigation recommendations. Some fertility research has been published from European and Canadian studies, but as cultivation of hemp increases in the U.S. researchers and extension personnel will be asked to generate recommendations for profitable hemp cultivation. This creates a need for new, updated, and relevant fertility research to form the basis of peer-reviewed recommendations. This article reviews and summarizes the current state of peer-reviewed industrial hemp fertility research and we pose ideas for future fertility studies necessary for the development of industrial hemp fertilizer recommendations.