S06 - Session O1 - Modeling growth and development of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) varieties under greenhouse and controlled environment conditions.

Authors: Alwin Hopf *, Paul Daiber, Gerrit Hoogenboom, Steven Anderson, Brian Pearson

Hemp is a strain of Cannabis Sativa that is grown for industrial use as fiber, fuel, and phytochemicals. Florida hemp growers are currently facing numerous agronomic challenges in an uncertain environment, ultimately limiting the potential of hemp as a sustainable source for fiber and other bioproducts. It would, therefore, be useful to develop a dynamic model-based decision support system to address some of the challenges of hemp growers and other stakeholders. This starts with understanding growth and development of hemp as a function of environmental, management and genetic factors and developing statistical or process-based computer models. In this study, we collected destructive and non-destructive measurements from different hemp cultivars that were grown under different environmental conditions to study the development of architecture and biomass accumulation during the growing season. Flower material was sampled at weekly intervals to study the development of the cannabinoid profile and quality-quantity dynamics throughout the flowering period. The experimental data were then analyzed and folded into preliminary predictive models through mechanistic and statistical approaches. Key phases of development of growth were identified and correlated to the preceding environmental conditions. This research presents initial approaches towards simulating growth and development of industrial hemp in greenhouse and controlled environment conditions. Future work will include a focus on process-based mechanistic modeling of physiological processes and evaluation with datasets for different cultivars and other environments.