Zabel Seeds produces the Legacy Hemp X-59 Brand of industrial Hemp, and other varieties may be available upon request.
The hemp variety, X-59, was developed by Terramax, a crop research and development company, based in Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada, and licenced and marketed exclusively in the United States by Legacy Hemp, LLC, based in Prescott, Wisconsin.
The X-59 (Hemp Nut) is one of the most stable and well-tested hemp cultivars in production to date. It is a leader on Western Canadian yield trials, and has show similar results in University of Minnesota Hemp Trials.
It is ultra-low in THC and has been exempted from THC testing in Canada since March 2015.
It has been shown in many places to be an excellent Super Food, and so, is a great product for innovative farmers.T
X-59 (Hemp Nut) Variety Characteristics:
*Good shatter resistance
* Large seed size
* Low dockage
* Very low THC levels
* Moderate season (~100 days), varies with seeding date
* Moderate height
* Seeding rate, 30 lbs per acre
* Direct harvest using conventional equipment
* Thousand seed weight is 22 grams
* Bushel weight is 44 lbs
* Up to 35% oil, 26% protein
Hemp is a highly versatile crop used for food, cosmetics, fuel, feed, and industrial fiber. X-59 (Hemp-Nut) is in demand by processors because its large, uniform seed results in high kernel yield when de-hulled.
It’s dioecious (50% male/50% female). The male and female plants are easily differentiated around 5 weeks after emergence. After pollination, the male plants begin to die, while female seed-bearing plants remain vigorous and green.
Hemp seed oil is valued for human food because of its high content of essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). No other seed offers a more complete and balanced source of proteins, healthy oils, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Its nutritional benefits are truly impressive.
Choosing land for hemp
Hemp is not a remarkably drought tolerant crop.
Volunteer wheat, barley and buckwheat are nearly impossible to clean out of hemp.
Typically land that produces a good canola crop will produce a good hemp crop. Fertile land with a loam texture that is rich in organic matter with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 is preferable. The seedbed should be fine, mellow, and uniform. Avoid marginal soils with low fertility, low organic matter, and poorly drained soils.
Select land free of herbicide residues that may injure hemp (Odyssey, Pursuit, Ally, Amber, Assert, Muster, Prism, and Escort).
In organic production, green-manure crops of faba bean, silage peas, clover and alfalfa are used to build fertility. Following alfalfa, the best response comes in the second year, as the alfalfa biomass mineralizes.
Cereal and pulse crop stubble are rotation options for hemp. Hemp does best following alfalfa or red clover, but also performs very well following soybeans, sweet clover, legumes, barley, and potatoes. It performs medium to poor following corn, canola, and sunflowers. It should never follow spice crops due to the volunteer crop. Soybeans, sunflowers and canola also increase sclerotinia pressure on hemp.
Seeding
Pedigreed seed is often required for hemp production. Check with your state’s department of agriculture for regulations pertaining to sourcing your seed.
Hemp can be direct-seeded (no-till) into standing stubble. Seed into moist soil and as shallow as possible: 2 cm or (1/2 – 3/4 inch maximum). Good packing assists in quick crop emergence by increasing soil moisture-to-seed contact. Hemp seeds should germinate completely within 10 days. Hemp is frost tolerant at the seedling stage.
Target a plant population of 10 live plants per square foot for grain production. When germination, emergence, and plant mortality are considered the seeding rate is about 30 lbs per acre.
While growers typically target the last week in May, seeding can start as early as the last week in April since hemp is relatively frost tolerant. Warm soils with average temperatures above 5˚C promote rapid emergence. Earlier seeding improves the chance of a higher seed yield and will result in maximizing plant height. Late planting (first 2 weeks in June), to avoid weed flushes or flooding, has frequently resulted in good production. Hemp has indeterminate flowering, meaning that regardless of planting date, the plants will mature at about the same time.
A slight crust on the ground frequently results in a poor stand. If after seeding, and before the seedling emerges, the ground crusts badly, it may be advisable to roll the field to break the crust.
Fertilizer
Nutrient requirements fluctuate with variety; yield targets, environmental conditions (moisture and temperature and soil characteristics (soil type, available soil nutrients).
From grower’s experience, hemp responds to high fertility levels similar to canola. For example, a 45bu/ac canola crop requires 145 lbs/ac nitrogen, 32 lbs/ac phosphorous, 100 lbs/ac potassium, and 28 lbs/ac sulfur.
Liquid side banding nitrogen is acceptable for hemp as long as the seed and fertilizer are separated. No more than 15 lbs/ac of phosphorous should be applied with the seed.
Foliar application of nitrogen is not recommended.
Weed Management
The first flush of weeds can be controlled using a glyphosate pre-plant burn-down. A uniform stand that emerges ahead of weeds is important.
Selection of weed-free fields, and pre-emergence herbicides have proven successful in low-till or no-till situations. Perennial weeds should be controlled in the year previous to planting hemp. Establishing a good hemp stand is your best management tool for weed control. Although research trials have identified some possible herbicides for use on hemp, currently, there are no registered herbicides available for use in hemp in the United States.
Potential problem weeds are dependent on your locale, but include such species as wild buckwheat, pigweed, wild oats, volunteer wheat, coriander and spice crops.
Volunteer wheat, barley and buckwheat are difficult to clean out of hemp and can cause a rejection of the hemp lot by processors.
Harvesting
As X-59 (Hemp-Nut) matures, the seeds turn tan-brown and the seeds will be resistant to compression. At the 10-15 percent moisture level, the large outer green leaves on the plant will turn brown and fall off.
Once hemp dries down too far, many cultivars become vulnerable to shatter loss after high wind turbulence.
Combine clean-out prior to harvest is a must. Residual grain left in hoppers and cross augers can cause contamination resulting in significant down-grading and product rejection (use vacuums and air hoses for clean-out).
Swathing offers many additional challenges and should generally be avoided.
Direct harvesting:
Most producers are choosing to straight cut X-59 (Hemp-Nut). For easy throughput (reduced wrapping) combine at 15 to12 % moisture. A draper header is preferable because of even feeding of the material into the combine and reduced losses.
Newer model combines such as CIH 8010’s and JD 9770 STS’s are handling hemp better than their predecessors. NH CX860 and NHCX880 and the newer series are working fine (cover the final drive shaft to prevent wrapping). Wrapping can be eliminated on the JD 9770 by doubling the rear speed of the rear beater by replacing the drive pulley and belt. Bypass the chopper if possible.
Reduce rotor cylinder speeds (rotor RPM 500-550, wind 650 as a general guideline) and adjust concave to minimize cracking the seed coat and splitting the seed.
Hemp dust is sticky and can be ignited by static electricity, so a chain should be dragged from the combine to dissipate the static to avoid fire.
Belt conveyors are recommended for grain handling, if available. Low–sloped transfer augers are acceptable, but they should be operated full and at slow speeds to reduce potential de-hulling and seed splitting.
Storage
High moisture hemp will heat and spoil quickly. For long term storage, store at less than 8% moisture. A number of modern grain moisture testers have calibrations available for hemp. If you do not own a grain moisture tester, contact any local grain handling facility to find out whether their machine can measure hemp grain moisture.
It is important to dry hemp down immediately with aeration after combining and mix or turn the grain to eliminate any hot spots or moisture that could collect near the bin wall. Very high capacity fans, along with filling bins only half full initially, is advisable to prevent spoilage.
Hemp is an oilseed and must be handled and stored in a manner similar to other oilseed crops such as canola and flax. Turning the grain by pulling a load out of the bin is helpful to cool the grain.
Licensing
A license is required to grow hemp in Minnesota. Hemp regulations are administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. More information regarding state requirements and obtaining a license can be found on the MNDOA website. Other states have similar requirements, and you should check with your state’s department of agriculture for more information.