Farming techniques could boost CBD, hemp study infers

A new study on hemp microorganisms could ultimately help researchers, scientists and growers boost production of CBD and other valuable compounds such as terpenes.

The University of Houston study – titled “Microbiome diversity and variations in industrial hemp genotypes” and published in Nature magazine – examined communities of microbiomes living in and around the roots and leaves of four types of hemp plants.

University of Houston researchers compared how those microorganisms differ between hemp grown for fiber and hemp grown for CBD production.

“Understanding these microorganisms can also lead to more sustainable farming methods, using nature to boost plant growth instead of relying heavily on chemicals,” Waqar Ahmad, an author of the study and doctoral student of lead researcher Abdul Latif Khan, said in a university news release.

The study, according to the researchers could lead to other key breakthroughs, including:

• Developing hemp cultivars with improved fiber properties.
• Creating resilient hemp varieties that can thrive in varying agroecological conditions in Texas and elsewhere.
• Establishing strategies to optimize crop nutrient management, which may increase overall plant health and productivity.
• Growing endophyte-inoculated industrial hemp seeds for commercial production, thereby translating lab findings into practical applications. (Endophytes are organisms, typically fungi and bacteria, that live within plant cells but don’t cause any apparent harm to the plant.)