Journal d'horticulture
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Evaluation of the Effect of Harvesting Time on Three Varieties of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L)

Jordan William Prats1, Daphne Kyoko Sugino Souffront1, Diego Salazar Amoretti2, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran*1

Recently, the exponential growth of the legal cannabinoid market has revitalized the interest in this traditional in Cannabis sativa L. or industrial hemp in various industries around the world period. Today, strict regulatory mechanisms over this crop exist to control the expression of federally banned cannabinoids produced by the plant, hindering its industrial potential. As the interest in cannabis grows, and its production expands to new soils and climates, research is needed to assess how different cultivars will fare in these new regions. Here, were determining the changes in cannabinoid concentration for three CBD varieties of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L): Bubba Kush (BK), Emerald Flower (EF), and Golden Sunset (GS). Crops were cultivated under open-field conditions in a randomized block design. Plants were sampled weekly until senescence to assess the changes in Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations across time. A cannabinoid extraction and quantification was developed to quantify cannabinoids (post-anthesis) via HPLC-DAD. Total CBD and THC reached their peak concentration at 5-8 weeks within the study. After seven weeks, the decline of secondary metabolite concentration was observed, causing a decrease in cannabinoid concentration. Although the fluctuation of cannabinoids was dynamic within each variety, the study provides information and insights on the proper management and harvesting of Cannabis sativa L or industrial hemp in South Florida.