Dioecious hemp seed yield under the influence of the crop management

Abstract

In order to define the most optimal technique for field trials that would allow broader exploration of the interaction of G x E x M (G - genotype, E - environmental conditions, M - crop management) in hemp seed production, one-year trials were set up with the typically dioecious hemp variety Marina. The trials included three different crop densities (20, 150, and 300 plants m2?) and the control unpinched variant which was compared with the apical bud removal treatment (pinching) at a plant height of 60 cm. The results showed that with pinching in all crop densities, a decrease in plant height and an increase in seed yield are achieved. The highest seed yields of over 1200 kg ha were achieved in the pinched crop with 20 and 150 plants m 2, which can be considered the optimal method for determining the yield potential of the genotype. The obtained results of the preliminary research will serve as a basis for recommendations for commercial hemp seeds production, as well as for defining the method for testing the wider germplasm in the hemp breeding programs.