Harvesting hemp for fiber
Harvesting Fibre Hemp
Air dry stem yields in Ontario have ranged from 2.6-14.0 tonnes of dry, retted stalks per hectare (1-5.5 t/ac) at 12% moisture. Yields in Kent County have averaged 8.75 t/ha (3.5 t/ac). Northern Ontario crops averaged 6.1 t/ha (2.5 t/ac) in 1998. Researchers feel earlier planting, optimum production management and more suitably adapted varieties can result in higher yields.
Approximately one tonne of bast fibre and 2-3 tonnes of core material can be decorticated from 3-4 tonnes of good quality, dry retted straw.
Yield of fibre depends on both the stalk yield per hectare and the fibre content of the stalk. Varieties differ in the amount of actual fibre they contain, and on the ratio of bast fibre to core materials (hurds). Dioecious varieties originating in southern Europe give the highest stalk yields. Further processing may be required to attain the quality of fibre needed for some end uses.
For textile applications, cut hemp in the early flowering stage or while pollen is being shed, but before seed sets. Fibre that is cut after seed harvest will have lignified considerably and is usable only in some non-woven industrial fibre applications. In dioecious varieties, the male plants die back after shedding pollen. This results in lower fibre yields if the straw is cut after grain has matured.
On small acreages, good quality sickle-bar mowers and hay swathers have been used to cut hemp. Frequent plugging has been a constant problem with this equipment. It is important to keep knives sharp and in good repair at all times. As acreage increases, more sophisticated equipment may have to be imported or developed.
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