Hemp Guide - 2020 - 4

HEMP GENETICS
Table: The Hemp Mine
Delta 9
Total THC
COUNT/ACRE
2,500
2,500
TOTAL LBS/ACRE (1 LB/PLANT)
2,500
2,500
between one another per state and
this should be your first factor to
consider when determining what
genetics you will either offer as
liners or grow in the field for biomass
in your state. The devil is in the
details, let me explain why...
There are huge differences in the
genetics that can be grown without
risk in " Delta 9 " states versus Total
THC states. For example, we would
recommend anyone in a Delta 9
state to grow " Southern OG, " which
has tested as high as
22% CBD and yields are
extremely high (~5lbs/
plant if allowed to go full
term). But this cultivar
also has a total THC of
around 0.7% at full term,
yet it stays compliant
under the Delta 9
regulations. Though if
harvested very early,
it would be " compliant "
but the yields would be
terrible. This is why it's
so important to truly
understand the genetics
you are growing.
The regulations are only
one hurdle for farmers
and greenhouse growers,
another is determining
if your genetic supplier
can actually deliver on their product
claims. At The Hemp Mine, between
our seven cultivars offered this
season, we would recommend
different cultivars per regulation
scenario to enable the farmer to
properly maximize their CBD%/lb of
biomass (i.e., revenue potential) while
staying in compliance per state. At
the end of the day, or rather at the
end of the season, what dictates
a farmer's success, regarding
compliance, is when they harvest
during the flowering process.
When discussing genetic offerings
with a breeding company, don't
4 | 2020 GUIDE TO HEMP PRODUCTION
POTENCY (%)
18
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just take their word for it. When
a breeder says their genetics are
USDA compliant, what the heck
does this mean? From the breeder
perspective this means that the
COA (certificate of analysis) they
shared with you is compliant,
meaning they harvested their crop
early enough to stay in compliance
in order to generate that COA.
This does not mean the genetics
are compliant by default but
rather they were harvested at the
$0.50/%/LB
$22,500.00
$7,500.00
to a single seed (up front), but does
this actually reflect the cost of the
genetics over the whole season to
the farmer? Many genetic decisions
are being made on capital upfront
and not considering the instability
of hemp seed genetics in general
and what this actually costs during
production and thus the lack of value
during the sale of the final product.
What matters to the farmer and
The genetics the farmer
chooses will dictate the
quality of their offering to a
processor, greatly.
appropriate time to stay under the
THC ceiling. Breeders should say,
our genetics " can be " compliant with
USDA regulations based on when
you harvest. There are outliers to
this, like our CBG-focused cultivar,
Janet's G, that can be grow to
maturity and harvested at 12%
CBG/lb and only 0.15% Total THC.
Be careful about this and question
these vendors.
SEEDS VERSUS CLONES
Seeds versus Clones? This is a
constant back and forth. Yes, in most
cases a clone costs more compared
what matters to the young plant
greenhouse grower can be different
but in a way, the same -
production and revenue
predictability. The farmer
needs a product they can
sell to a processor. This
product is mg/acres in the
form of biomass (pounds of
harvested plant material)
and should have a value
proposition itself. This
proposition is based on
crop growth consistency
in yield and potency per
pound. A processor cares
about consistent biomass,
not seed, not inconsistency
per batch of CBD, but
consistency which dictates
the cost of production for
the processor through
extraction efficiency
per kilogram.
The genetics the farmer chooses
will dictate the quality of their
offering to a processor, greatly. From
a greenhouse grower perspective,
who is used to either growing
ornamental crops or vegetable crops,
they care about efficiency and
thus production consistency (cost/
ft2
/yr). However, if a greenhouse
grower only chooses seed because
it is easier to propagate, does
not need near as much labor nor
greenhouse space allocated to it,
they are possibly putting the farmer
at risk not knowing the genetics'
performance after shipment. When
Hemp Guide - 2020

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