Hemp Research and Variety Trials with Penn State's Alyssa Collins

Episode • Jul 19, 2023 • 43m

This week on the Hemp Podcast, Lancaster Farming reconnects with Alyssa Collins, associate research professor at Penn State and the director of the university’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Manheim, Lancaster County, where she oversees hemp production and research trials.

Penn State Extension’s mission is to deliver science-based information to people, businesses and communities.

“The Extension part of what Penn State is,” said Collins, “is basically turning what nerds in a lab or a greenhouse are thinking about and doing in terms of research and translating that for people who can actually use it.”

Penn State’s hemp research was originally conducted at the Rock Springs farm near main campus, but was moved to the Landisville farm in 2018, “because a lot of the activity and interest was in south-central PA for growing hemp,” Collins said.

“Our farm is also a little bit more accessible in the region. It's just easier to get to and we can do big events here in a way that it's a little bit harder to do when you're up in Happy Valley,” she said.

Collins was one of the first guests on the hemp podcast almost five years ago. Since then, she has seen growing interest in the industrial applications of fiber and grain varieties and decreased interest in CBD.

Collins said the state of Pennsylvania is a leader in the hemp industry, in part due to the Ag Department’s commitment to easing regulatory burdens and making funds available.

“Unlike some other states that have either really high fees or have a lot of hoops to jump through, Pennsylvania is really trying to keep it as minimal as they can with making sure they still do their their due diligence,” she said.

Pennsylvania also made hemp eligible for specialty crop research funds.

“Most other states have not done that. And in fact, the federal government didn't do that until recently,” Collins said.

Penn State is one of several dozen universities across the country contributing to variety and agronomic trials coordinated by the University of Kentucky. The research aims to determine which varieties grow best in which regions.

“We're all working from the same seed lots and we get to see how they perform relatively in our areas,” she said.

Penn State’s hemp research, including the variety trials, will be on display during the Hemp Research Field Walk Aug. 15 at the research farm.

It’s a chance for the public to walk and talk with industry specialists, Extension educators and policymakers to raise questions and share ideas about the industry's future.

The event is free, but space is limited and pre-registration is recommended.

You can register here.

Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center https://agsci.psu.edu/research/centers-facilities/extension/landisville

Upcoming Hemp Events

Aug. 3-5

South Dakota Industrial Hemp Field Day

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/industrial-hemp-field-day-tickets-643817313917

Aug. 15-16

King's AgriSeeds Field Day

https://kingsagriseeds.com/

Aug. 15

Penn State Hemp Research Field Walk, Policy Update and Networking Event