Cornell Shares Insights During Virtual Hemp Field Day

Virtual extension during the COVID-19 pandemic is expanding the reach that researchers at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Science (Cornell CALS) have to new audiences, as evidenced by a virtual hemp field day this month.

The Aug. 20 event hosted by the Cornell Hemp Research Team on Zoom, drew 359 attendees from the U.S., Canada, Germany, South Africa, the Netherlands, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico and the U.K. to learn about the latest research tips for the hemp industry.

Cornell’s Hemp Field Day is an annual event that — in a typical year — draws hundreds of growers, scientists and entrepreneurs to Cornell AgriTech’s hemp research fields in Geneva, NY, to learn about the challenges, solutions and opportunities associated with growing different hemp varieties.

“State and University safety guidelines prevented us from hosting in-person event for a large audience this year,” said Larry Smart, professor of horticulture. “So we opted to bring our hemp fields to attendees’ computer screens instead.”

The virtual event, led by Smart, featured 15 faculty, graduate student and postdoctoral associate experts, who spoke to attendees about hemp genetics and breeding, crop management, supply chain and regulatory updates. Speakers shared hemp insights from their respective remote locations, including hemp research fields, labs and home offices. Social distancing measures were practiced and masks were worn by speakers being captured on video to ensure safety throughout the virtual event.

See handouts and videos from the Cornell Hemp Virtual Field Day››

Event highlights included discussions from graduate students George Stack and Jacob Toth on challenges associated with the levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in various hemp varieties. Producing hemp with THC levels under the legal limit has been a regulatory challenge for many growers and the students’ genetic research findings offered a glimmer of hope that the Cornell hemp breeding program is developing cultivars and tools for growers aiming to meet legal requirements.