Elements of varietal technology of cultivation of a new cannabis sativa variety ʻLyudmilaʼ

Abstract

In 2023, the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation included and approved for use in the Middle Volga region a variety of monoecious drug-free cannabis sativa ʻLyudmilaʼ. In connection with the introduction into production and for the purpose of propagating seeds of a new variety in the Penza region in 2021–2023, wide-row (with row spacing of 45 and 70 cm) and ordinary (15 cm) sowing methods and seed sowing rates were studied, taking into account the main directions of crop use. With the studied methods of sowing and seeding rates, the yield of stems on average over the years of research reached 11.3–14.4 t/ha and was maximum with ordinary sowing with a seeding rate of 3.0 million pcs/ha. On the contrary, higher seed yields were obtained with wide-row sowing – 1.15 t/ha (row spacing 70 cm, seeding rate 0.9 million pcs/ha) and 1.04 t/ha (45 cm, 1.2 million pcs/ha), with ordinary sowing for all studied – 0.90-0.91 t/ha. An increase in the seeding rate from 2.0 to 3 million pcs/ha during ordinary sowing was accompanied by an increase in the yield of stems by 3.1 t/ha (27.4 %), the fiber content in stems from 30.9 to 31.8 % and its collection from 3.91 to 5.54 t/ha. By wide–row sowing with row spacing of 70 cm, the stem contained 26.5–28.7 % fiber with a total yield of 3.37–4.18 t/ha, by sowing with row spacing of 45 cm, the fiber content in the stem increased to 29.8–30.4 %, which made it possible to harvest 3.71–4.77 tons of fiber per 1 hectare. Economically effective methods of sowing and seeding rates of ʻLyudmilaʼ cannabis variety have been identified, ensuring the profitability of seed production at the level of 129–147 %.