Agronomic performance of industrial hemp (<i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.) in northern Greece: A comparative study

E. Tsaliki; T. Tzivara; C.A. Damalas; S. Fotiadis; E. Vazanelli; I. Panoras; T. Moysiadis; S.D. Koutroubas; E. Tsaliki; T. Tzivara; C.A. Damalas; S. Fotiadis; E. Vazanelli; I. Panoras; T. Moysiadis; S.D. Koutroubas

doi:10.3934/agrfood.2025038

AIMS Agriculture and Food

2025, Volume 10, Issue 3: 744-755. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025038

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Research article

Agronomic performance of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in northern Greece: A comparative study

1.
Hellenic Agricultural Organization DIMITRA, Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, 57001 Thermi Thessaloniki, Greece
2.
Soufliotika Kelaria, 68133 Alexandroupolis, Greece
3.
Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Agricultural Development, 68200 Orestiada, Greece
4.
Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences and Engineering, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus

Received: 10 May 2025 Revised: 09 July 2025 Accepted: 05 August 2025 Published: 28 September 2025

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a sustainable, high-yielding crop, well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, but little information exists concerning the performance of industrial hemp varieties in the field under common management practices. In this study, we evaluated the agronomic performance of two monoecious industrial hemp varieties, Ferimon and Fedora 17, across two distinct Greek locations (Thermi and Evros) over two consecutive growing seasons (2023 and 2024). The varieties were assessed for key morphological traits, including plant height, stem diameter, internode length, SPAD index, along with biomass production, fiber content, and seed yield. Significant annual variation in industrial hemp growth was noted, with plants in 2023 exhibiting greater plant height (215 vs. 130 cm), stem diameter (9.32 vs. 7.29 mm), internode length (16.9 vs. 10.5 cm), and SPAD readings (49.6 vs. 42.6) compared to 2024. While location had a limited effect on plant height, it significantly influenced other traits, with Evros consistently favoring higher SPAD readings (51.4 vs. 40.7) and longer internodes (14.3 vs. 13.2 cm). Ferimon exhibited superior plant height (178 cm) and seed yield (0.664 t ha⁻¹) across most settings, whereas Fedora 17 demonstrated enhanced fiber content (25.9%) and stem diameter (8.9 mm), especially in Thermi. Industrial hemp plants exhibited Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels between 0.10% and 0.12%, consistently below the 0.3% EU regulatory threshold, demonstrating successful compliance within Mediterranean cultivation systems. However, the presence of three-way interactions (year x location x variety) for most agronomic parameters highlighted the need for environment-specific cultivar recommendations. The findings provide valuable insights into varietal adaptability of industrial hemp in Greece and contribute to strategic decision-making in industrial hemp cultivation in Mediterranean environments.
- agronomic performance,
- genotype x environment interaction,
- plant height,
- fiber yield,
- seed yield
Citation: E. Tsaliki, T. Tzivara, C.A. Damalas, S. Fotiadis, E. Vazanelli, I. Panoras, T. Moysiadis, S.D. Koutroubas. Agronomic performance of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in northern Greece: A comparative study[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2025, 10(3): 744-755. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2025038

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Abstract

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a sustainable, high-yielding crop, well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, but little information exists concerning the performance of industrial hemp varieties in the field under common management practices. In this study, we evaluated the agronomic performance of two monoecious industrial hemp varieties, Ferimon and Fedora 17, across two distinct Greek locations (Thermi and Evros) over two consecutive growing seasons (2023 and 2024). The varieties were assessed for key morphological traits, including plant height, stem diameter, internode length, SPAD index, along with biomass production, fiber content, and seed yield. Significant annual variation in industrial hemp growth was noted, with plants in 2023 exhibiting greater plant height (215 vs. 130 cm), stem diameter (9.32 vs. 7.29 mm), internode length (16.9 vs. 10.5 cm), and SPAD readings (49.6 vs. 42.6) compared to 2024. While location had a limited effect on plant height, it significantly influenced other traits, with Evros consistently favoring higher SPAD readings (51.4 vs. 40.7) and longer internodes (14.3 vs. 13.2 cm). Ferimon exhibited superior plant height (178 cm) and seed yield (0.664 t ha⁻¹) across most settings, whereas Fedora 17 demonstrated enhanced fiber content (25.9%) and stem diameter (8.9 mm), especially in Thermi. Industrial hemp plants exhibited Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels between 0.10% and 0.12%, consistently below the 0.3% EU regulatory threshold, demonstrating successful compliance within Mediterranean cultivation systems. However, the presence of three-way interactions (year x location x variety) for most agronomic parameters highlighted the need for environment-specific cultivar recommendations. The findings provide valuable insights into varietal adaptability of industrial hemp in Greece and contribute to strategic decision-making in industrial hemp cultivation in Mediterranean environments.

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