Agricultural technology company Cool Planet has partnered with Gray Farm Maple, a farming operation in Denmark, Maine, to conduct trials of Cool Terra Organic on outdoor grown industrial hemp.
The trial is taking place on farmland in the western lakes region of Maine, and the results will measure changes in plant yield and overall plant CBD content.
Cool Planet has completed over 125 independent agricultural field trials across a wide variety of crops and this is its first trial on industrial hemp.
“Industrial hemp is quickly becoming the next cash crop within the agricultural sector. We’re excited to partner with a company that is helping give farms more tools to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity,” Cool Planet CEO Jim Loar said in a statement.
“Based on the significant number of independent trials we have conducted, we believe applying Cool Terra® Organic to the root zone of hemp plants has the ability to increase the yield and thus overall CBD content, making the crop even more valuable than it already is today,” Loar added.
The trial is being conducted as a randomized complete block, replicated design where the acreage is divided into 24 rows to account for any soil variation in the field. The field will use plasticulture and drip tape, with Cool Terra Organic applied at the root zone. When it’s time to harvest, the control and Cool Terra yields will be measured in dry weight, and the CBD output will be measured after CO2 extraction.
“We are excited to partner with Cool Planet to better understand how their biochar-based soil amendment may impact the output, and environmental sustainability of industrial hemp farming,” Gray Farm Maple President Barry Kallander stated.
“Hemp offers a tremendous opportunity for farmers across the country, but due to the crop’s high carbon footprint, we must find ways to make it more sustainable. We think Cool Terra® could be a helpful tool because of its ability to increase yield, reduce water use, sequester carbon, and improve soil health,” Kallander added.
