22
‘FIN-314’ in Canada
Sasha Przytyk
Gen-X Research Inc.
1237 Albert Street
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Tel: +1 (306) 525-6519 e-mail: genx@net1fx.com
In earlier issues of this journal, Jace Callaway and Tero
Laakkonen have reported (e.g., Callaway and Laakkonen 1996, 1998) on the
development and progress of their northern variety of oilseed hemp known as ‘FIN-314’.
With the advent of legal commercial hemp cultivation in Canada last spring, ‘FIN-314’
was an obvious choice for new hemp producers here, many of whom were looking for
an easy-to-harvest hemp seed variety. Jace Callaway and Tero Laakkonen were
aware of this fact and had been following developments in Canada closely.
However, as the variety has only been multiplied in Finland since 1995, the
supply of Finnish seed was sufficient enough only to allow further
multiplication before it could be fully commercialized. Because of this, it
became necessary to partner with a group of organic hemp producers in Canada who
could carry out this directive.
In early 1998, an alliance was forged between Callaway,
Laakkonen, and a group of growers, traders and researchers known as Gen-X
Research Inc., for the purpose of introducing the ‘FIN-314’ hemp variety to
Canada. Based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Gen-X Research now coordinates the
distribution of ‘FIN-314’ planting seeds to Canadian hemp growers, and
markets recipient farmers' hemp "grain" production.
The adventure has been quite successful so far. Now into our
second year of production, ‘FIN-314’ is being cultivated on a total area of
approximately 300 hectares, in various locations: from British Columbia on the
West coast, to Nova Scotia in the East, and from the southern tip of Ontario at
42 degrees North latitude, to the Peace River area of northern B.C. and Alberta
at 56 degrees North (Young 1999). So far, our experiences with this variety have
confirmed and strengthened the positive observations made in earlier reports, as
well as raised some interesting new questions. Clearly, ‘FIN-314’ is a
uniquely valuable strain, both from the hemp grower's perspective and from a
nutritionist's point of view. The demand for seeds of this variety greatly
exceeded the availability this year, but with any luck, we expect to be in a
position to supply ‘FIN-314’ seed for approximately 5000 hectares of
production in the year 2000.
Fiber vs. Seed
All of the hemp varieties currently being sold commercially
in Canada were developed and licensed in Europe (mostly in France and Hungary).
It is difficult to compare ‘FIN-314’ to any of these, for reasons to be
detailed below. In addition, there is no record of short-stature seed-producing
types of hemp ever being grown in North America. In Europe, hemp breeding
efforts have concentrated until recently on increasing the yield and proportion
of fiber, the creation of monoecious varieties, and the reduction of THC
content. Seed production was mostly viewed as a secondary goal, as its main
purpose was to serve as sowing material for the following year.
Hemp fiber processing is now making a comeback as an
industry, but has a very long way to go. Fiber processing is complex; it
requires high capital inputs and years of research and development. Transport
costs can be prohibitive. On the other hand, new markets are rapidly being
created for hemp seed products in the food, cosmetics and nutrition sectors.
Thus, it is attractive for many Canadian farmers, who may view hemp straw
production as secondary or unwanted, to grow hemp primarily for its seed. It
makes little sense, in their case, to grow the predominant types of hemp, which
will grow to anywhere from two to four meters in height, yet produce seed only
in the plants' top 40 cm. This creates technical difficulties during harvest,
and so requires careful preparation. Also, hemp straw left on the ground does
not degrade quickly on conventional farms (where chemical applications may have
curbed fungal and bacterial activity) and can be a nuisance while attempting to
cultivate a crop on the same field the next year.
Strange as it may seem, many prairie hemp farmers who are
cultivating tall hemp varieties will have little choice but to pile up their
straw in the field and burn it after seed harvest, just as they do with their
oilseed flax straw. It is not hard to see this as a waste. For this reason and
others, there is increasing demand for short-stature seed types of hemp.
Currently, ‘FIN-314’ is the only available variety that fits the bill.
Several new varieties are being developed to supply the demand, but these will
not likely be available for at least a year or two.
A Late Start
Bureaucratic delays with the Canadian hemp licensing bureau
and with Customs regulations delayed the importation of our lot of ‘FIN-314’
seed issued from Callaway and Laakkonen’s Finnish production until the end of
June, 1998. Knowing this variety's reputation for early maturity, we went ahead
and planted the seed anyway. Two multiplication plots were sown on organically
cultivated land: one in southern Quebec (4 ha, June 29th), and the other in
Saskatchewan (14 ha, July 1st). Small research plots were also seeded by outside
parties for agronomic evaluation, in southern and northern Ontario, northern
British Columbia, and Alberta.
Nobody was quite sure whether a viable seed crop would be
obtained from this unprecedented late planting. However, our frustration at the
delays soon began to fade, as the plants' growth kicked into high gear,
averaging about 2 cm each day for the month of July. Incredibly, on our main
site (Saskatchewan), male flowers appeared on day 21, and began releasing their
pollen on day 27, just as the female plants started to bloom. Despite the late
planting, all of the sites matured within 78-90 days, and were ready to harvest
in late September. Plant stature at maturity varied from about three to four and
a half feet: extremely short for hemp, yet a very manageable height for standard
grain harvesting machinery. Yields of grain ranged from approximately 300 kg/ha
(in drought-stricken Saskatchewan) to 1100 kg/ha (Quebec). It is expected that
yields will increase significantly this year, with properly timed planting and
our increased understanding of the crop.
Plant Height vs. Latitude
Cannabis sativa usually exhibits three distinct stages of
growth: the seedling stage, the vegetative growth stage, and the flowering
period. The vegetative stage begins when the hemp plant has formed its first
true leaf, and extends until the onset of flowering. It is during this period
that hemp plants put all their energy into vertical growth, a rate at which
other plants or weeds have a hard time keeping up. Late-flowering hemp is
usually preferred for fiber production: the longer the vegetative growth stage,
the higher the stalk yield.
After the vegetative stage comes the flowering stage; in
dioecious varieties, male plants flower first, and females follow approximately
two weeks later as the males are getting ready to shed pollen. Once flowering
sets in, hemp plants typically begin slowing their vertical growth and
concentrate their energies on pollen and seed production instead.
From what we have observed so far, it appears that ‘FIN-314’
has a very short vegetative stage, if indeed it can be called that. This
variety, unlike any others we have observed, basically skips the vegetative
period and goes straight from seedling to flowering. Male flowers begin
appearing about three weeks from seeding, and the plants spend most of their
85-90 day growth cycle in the flowering stage. Vertical growth continues
steadily, even as the plants are flowering. We have also observed that the
farther south ‘FIN-314’ is cultivated, the shorter it's final height. In
Regina, Saskatchewan (at 50 degrees latitude north), our crop reached heights of
approximately 1.2 meters (maximum)- somewhat shorter than the 2 meter maximum
that was reported for Finnish crops (above 60 degrees North latitude). And
farther south, e.g. near Montreal, Quebec, at about 45 degrees latitude,
our crop finished at approximately 80 cm - 1.0 m.
In addition to the data obtained from our official test
sites, the accidental re-growth of hemp plants from seed spilled during last
year's harvest revealed some unexpected information. At the previously mentioned
site in Quebec, a thick stand of "volunteer" seedlings was discovered
growing in early April of this year in a location sheltered by farm buildings.
As this article is being written (early June), a time when many farmers are
still busy planting their crops, mature seed has already been produced by these
plants. This extreme early ripening may not be unheard of for wild Cannabis,
but to our knowledge, is unprecedented for domesticated hemp in Canada. All this
may have some surprising implications for hemp seed growers, and raises some new
questions to research. Theoretically, while not necessarily practical, it may be
possible to obtain two ‘FIN-314’ seed harvests from one field in one year,
in much of southern Canada and the United States. At the very least, this
variety has a longer planting time window and a wider geographical range for
seed production than other varieties. However, there is still much research to
be done to determine the effect of latitude, temperature and planting time on
potential seed yields.
Fiber: Low yield, high quality
As a consequence of its short growing period, ‘FIN-314’
produces low straw yields. However, because the plants are thin and unbranched
like flax, the stalks contain a high proportion of primary long fiber. These
stalks bear so much resemblance to linen flax that it seems probable they could
be processed by the same extraction and spinning machinery, should it prove
economical to do so. Trials will be carried out this fall, in a collaborative
effort between Quebec ‘FIN-314’ hemp growers and Fibrex Quebec Inc., who
have acquired the former Gilflax mill in Valleyfield, to determine the
suitability of ‘FIN-314’ hemp stalks for processing into fine linen
textiles. We hope this could greatly increase our hemp growers' income in the
future.
Test Results
THC analysis results obtained in 1998 were slightly higher
than those reported from Finland, but well within the 0,3% limit: tests
registered between 0.06% and 0.16% in Canada, compared to 0.04% to 0.08% in
Finland. The higher test results were generally obtained from more southern
locations. This is in line with findings from Scheifele et al. (1999a),
which show the tendency for lower THC levels at higher latitudes.
Fatty Acid Profile
Few other food oils even approach the exceptional fatty acid
profile found in hemp seed oil. ‘FIN-314’ in particular seems to produce oil
of superior quality in terms of Essential Fatty Acid profile. Research has
confirmed the high gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) content
in oil extracted from ‘FIN-314’ seeds grown in Canada. Tests results ranged
from 4.2 to 4.7% GLA and 1.5 - 1.8% SDA in oil, compared to a maximum of 3.1%
GLA and 1.0% SDA for other varieties tested. These high levels are probably also
linked to FIN-314's northern origin, as discussed by Callaway et al.
(1996).
Hemp seeds are also known to be a good source of easily
digestible proteins. Two separate tests on ‘FIN-314’ seeds have produced a
31% protein reading on a whole seed basis and 35.8% on hemp cake, respectively
(after oil removal). Oil content tested at 26% (Scheifele 1999b), somewhat lower
than the 37% reported by Callaway and Laakkonen (1996). More tests are needed to
determine the reason for this variation. It seems possible that the abbreviated
growing season in 1998 is responsible for this. Given more time to mature, oil
content in the seeds may be higher.
Conclusion
‘FIN-314’ is very different from other currently approved
hemp cultivars, yet it is uniquely appropriate for seed production in Canada: it
can produce viable seed in any area in Canada where land is cultivated. It is
especially appropriate for the northernmost farming regions. It also
demonstrates superior flexibility in terms of planting dates. Mechanical harvest
of ‘FIN-314’ seed is quite simple, due to the plants’ short stature and
early ripening. ‘FIN-314’ also presents superior nutritional
characteristics. All these factors lead us to expect the demand for this variety
to increase over the next few years.
References
Callaway, J. C. and T. T. Laakkonen 1996. Cultivation of Cannabis oil seed varieties in Finland. Journal of the International Hemp Association 3(1): 32-34.
Callaway, J. C. and T. T. Laakkonen 1998. Update on ‘FIN-314’. Journal of the International Hemp Association 5(1): 34-35.
Callaway, J. C., T. Tennila, and D. W. Pate 1996. Occurrence of 'omega-3' stearidonic acid in hemp seed Journal of the International Hemp Association 3(2): 61-63.
Scheifele, Gordon 1999a. 1998 Ontario studies in determining the genetic stability, environment and latitude effect on the levels of delta-9 THC for industrial hemp varieties. Kemptville College/University of Guelph, Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Scheifele, Gordon 1999b. Final report determining the feasibility and potential of field production of low THC industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) for fiber and seed grain in northern Ontario. Kemptville College/ University of Guelph, Thunder Bay, Ontario.