This $120,000 Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) CFDA 10.310 program aims to inform sustainable cultivation practices of hemp using biostimulants. The primary objectives are to: 1) test the ability of the biostimulants Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Trichoderma harzianum to enhance nitrogen use efficiency in hemp by growing the crop under different fertilizer treatments; and 2) evaluate the efficacy of these biostimulants in controlling common hemp diseases like damping-off and powdery mildew. The research will also analyze the plant's genetic response to biostimulant treatment to better understand the mechanisms of how these products work. The project seeks to provide hemp growers with evidence-based fertilization and disease management strategies that can reduce excess fertilizer inputs and crop losses. Awarded to Cornell University, the project will run from August 2024 to August 2026.
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