Industrial Hemp Variety Trials 2021–22 to 2023–24: Summary Report
Australia’s agricultural landscape has long been shaped by the emergence of new crops that transition into staples of the farming system through research, policy reform...
INDUSTRIAL HEMP
Industrial Hemp Variety Trials Final Report – Loxton, South Australia
41 pages
Published: 24 Oct 2025
Author(s): Mark Skewes,
ISBN: 978-1-76053-588-9
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AgriFutures Australia has identified that the industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) industry is poised for significant growth, attributed in part to the plant’s extensive range of sustainable applications. Hemp grain was approved for human consumption in 2017 by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which has provided a boost to the growth of the industrial hemp industry in Australia.
Choosing which hemp variety to cultivate is challenging for growers due to the limited knowledge on how these varieties perform under Australian conditions including the optimal sowing times. The AgriFutures Emerging Industries Program has invested in a three-year Industrial Hemp Variety Trial (IHVT) program to understand grain and dual-purpose varietal performance and suitable sowing times across Australia. Trial sites were established in nine locations including in the Northern Territory, South Australia (2), Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia (2), New South Wales and Queensland.
The Loxton IHVT site investigated the performance of grain and dual-purpose (grain and fibre) industrial hemp varieties under differing times of sowing to establish guidelines for these varieties in the Riverland region of South Australia. The two sowing times trialled in this three-year trial, mid-November and early to mid-December, are both recommended as being suitable for industrial hemp in the Riverland region.
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