Location: Soil Management Research
Project Number: 5060-21220-007-007-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2023
End Date: Dec 31, 2025
Objective:
1) Evaluate four ecotypes of sunn hemp for differences in biomass accumulation, nutritional quality, and alkaloid accumulation across three harvest times and two growing environments.
2) Identify optimal seeding rates for sunn hemp across two growing environments.
Approach:
Four ecotypes of sunn hemp will be planted in June of 2023 at ARS and Cooperator research farms. Weekly measurements of plant growth will be collected and biomass will be harvested 45 60, and 90 days after planting at both locations. Biomass will be dried and weighed at each location then shipped to cooperator for feed quality and alkaloid analysis. A single ecotype of sunn hemp will be planted in June of 2023 and 2024 at six seeding rates at ARS and Cooperator research farms. Weekly measurements of plant growth will be made. Biomass will be harvested at 30, 60, and 90 days after planting. Biomass will be dried and weighed at each location.
