Hemp Institute Explores Myriad Of Uses For Crop's Fiber, Flower

Three hemp varieties stand along the entrance to the Greenley Research Farm outside Novelty. The University of Missouri partnered with the Lincoln University Hemp Institute to help identify hemp varieties best suited for each part of the state. (Photo by Kyle Hill, Alpha Ag Network)

With the legalized return of industrial hemp underway, research into the varieties most suited for Missouri’s climate and ways to add value to the crop has also resumed. Lincoln University in Jefferson City has established its own Hemp Institute, partnering with researchers around the state. Director Doctor Babu Valliyodan says nearly every avenue of hemp research is covered by the institute.

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Valliyodan says the Hemp Institute has established four objectives.

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Carbon sequestration is another objective, and Valliyodan says hemp is an ideal crop to return carbon to the soil.

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Lincoln University Hemp Institute director Doctor Babu Valliyodan also identifies processing capacity and animal feed as objectives for the group’s researchers. Earlier this month, the institute was named the recipient of a five-million dollar grant from USDA for its proposed climate-smart project further identifying uses of industrial hemp.