WHAT HEMP CULTIVATE IN VALSAVIORE?

Hemp is a plant with a thousand applications whose renewed charm derives from the many possibilities of using the crop and from the growing demand by consumers for eco-compatible and sustainable products. A question is whether this industrial cultivation can become an opportunity for marginal areas such as mountain areas.
For this purpose, a research activity related to the cultivation of two varieties of industrial hemp at high altitude, in Valsaviore, at 1200 meters, started in the 2018 productive season.
The two varieties Finola (dioecious) and Futura (monoecious) presented good characteristics of rusticity with a growth in biomass comparable to the fields in the plains. In-depth analysis of inflorescences and seeds revealed an interesting composition in cannabinoids (with the tetrahydrocannabinol content largely below the legal limits) and terpenes regarding the inflorescences and a fatty acid profile rich in omega 3 and omega 6 for the seeds, with significant variations between the two varieties.
The study showed the importance of choosing the right variety of hemp according to the cultivation environment but, above all, depending on the final use in nutraceutical and agronomic terms.

REFERENCE
Front. Plant Sci., 15 October 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01265
CONTACTS: CrC Ge.S.Di.Mont (gesdimont@unimi.it).