Stronga is cooperating with hemp farmers all over the world to develop the most effective hemp drying solutions.

Every week more and more farmers turn to industrial hemp as a new high-profit-per-acre crop. At Stronga we understand what a big commitment this is for you at whatever your starting scale might be. As well as providing drying solutions that allow you to protect the value and profit of your industrial hemp crop, Stronga want to help you understand the power of hemp. We believe that hemp is the crop of the future, from hemp oils medical benefits to its fast growing biomass; we see hemp as the green solution to some of the world’s modern-day problems.

Stronga want to open the discussion by pointing out the durability of the hemp crop.

Hemp is considered one of the most resilient crops available to grow for numerous reasons, such as its ability to resist water stress; its aversion to extreme weather conditions; and its ability to flourish in a wide range of climates and soil types, making it an attractive crop to any prospective grower.

Many farmers are turning to industrial hemp because of water shortage issues within their area, an issue that is being compounded all over the world as a result of the impact of the climate changes. Reports claim industrial hemp farming uses a lot less water to grow than most plants, significantly reducing the requirements for irrigation. Industrial hemp requires up to a 1/3 of the amount water needed for growing maize in some soil types as well as using up to half as much water as cotton to grow to full harvest.

Less water being used to grow crops results in less damage being imparted on the environment as well as relieving lowering water tables that are affecting many areas. This is beneficial not only for the grower but for the environment, too, especially in the current climate where water is a valuable and scarce resource.

Not only does hemp require less water than conventional crops, studies have also shown that it reacts positively to water stress, allowing it to become even more water-efficient. Field observations generally show that water stress results in an increase in hemp water-use efficiency.

The cannabis family of plants generally prefers moist but not saturated soils with high levels of aeration, keeping the soil around the plant and the foliage dry leads to a healthier natural environment to give your crop a better chance of producing a high yield output. However it can still cope at either end of the water spectrum as it is an especially resilient crop.

Nothing is worse than losing a crop due to factors out of your control, and the primary reason for this all over the world is adverse weather conditions. Clearly some regions will be better suited for growing and harvesting industrial hemp with timely rainfall patterns, seasonal temperature differences and relative humidity differences. Of course there are varying industrial hemp varieties emerging which will allow earlier planting, growing season and harvesting timing.

An early spring seeded hemp crop is more tolerant to frost than a later seeded hemp crop.

Hemp germination can start as soon as temperature exceeds 0°C, even as low as 1 to 2°C (32-33°F). A Stronga FlowDrya customer in the Mid-West of the USA planted his hemp during the wettest spring on record for his local area. This meant that his early seeds and shoots were underwater for a number of weeks in very low temperatures. Although this delayed the plant’s growth in the early stages, they are now flourishing and he is looking forward to his harvest.

Our customer’s experience is supported by a Russian study that reported germinated seeds can withstand -5°C frosts for a period of two weeks and up to -15°C for 24 hours under low soil moisture conditions. Plants at the seedling stage easily tolerate frosts to about -7°C, and numerous volunteer plants often found in fields in the subsequent year are the best indication of fairly high frost hardiness of hemp at early developmental stages.

However, later on in development, hemp can develop mould problems once the plant is more established in the cold weather. Therefore getting your hemp harvest and correct scale hemp drying method ready and planned to allow for an efficient harvest will reduce risks from late fall and early winter frosts.

Timely planning of hemp drying equipment and installations are critical to the quality preservation and price of your industrial hemp crop. The Stronga team will help you establish which hemp drying solution is best for you and your hemp crop, doing this in good time allows for a reduced stress drying experience when harvest time comes.

Studies show that, even in extreme cases, hemp responds well to even a large amount of soil moisture availability during the growing season. What’s more, once hemp has established itself, despite its tall stature, the strong roots allow it to withstand strong winds and vicious storms, although hemp is more vulnerable than other conventional crops to hail storms due to their delicate buds.

While hemp is a notoriously durable and hardy crop, you still need to be prepared and fully understand the harvest and drying period; this is crucial in turning your hard work into profit. Stronga has already helped numerous clients install efficient hemp dryers. Contact us today to get yours on order – info@stronga.co.uk.