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What is sunn hemp used for?
Used as a cover crop, sunn hemp can improve soil properties, reduce soil erosion, conserve soil water, and recycle plant nutrients. ‘Tropic Sun’ is also resistant to root-knot nematodes. Other potential uses for sunn hemp are forage, paper fiber, and as alternative fuel crop (Rotar and Joy, 1983).
Can you eat sunn hemp?
Sunn hemp foliage can be used as a protein source to supplement poor quality roughage. Raw seeds are toxic and can not be fed to cattle without prior boiling.
Does sunn hemp have CBD?
Industrial Hemp is a Cannabis sativa plant, but the THC content is very low (< 0.3% on a dry matter basis) and it has many industrial uses including fiber and textiles, food (seed oil, greens), forage for animals, building materials and medical benefits through CBD (cannabidiol) oil.
Is sunn hemp the same as hemp?
Sunn hemp is a new, summer crop for us in the Northeast. Despite its name, Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) is not related to the industrial hemp you may be familiar with (Cannabis sativa). The Sunn Hemp plant bears only a mild resemblance to Cannabis, and is actually a legume in the same family as peas and beans.
What family is sunn hemp in?
Legumes
Crotalaria juncea/Family
sunn, (Crotalaria juncea), also called sann hemp or Indian hemp, annual plant of the pea family (Fabaceae) and its fibre, one of the bast fibre group. Sunn is likely native to the Indian subcontinent, where it has been cultivated since prehistoric times.
How do you terminate sunn hemp?
Sunn hemp can be terminated by mowing, rolling/crimping at bloom, herbicides and tillage. Herbicides are more easily used on shorter stands.
How tall does Sunn hemp get?
6 to 10 feet tall
Sunn hemp has bright green, simple leaves that are 3 to 5 inches long, approximately 1-inch wide, and are arranged in a spiral around the stem. It has a long tap root and a thick, fibrous stem approximately 1 to 2 inches in diameter. It can reach 6 to 10 feet tall, depending on soil fertility. The flowers are yellow.
How do you terminate Sunn hemp?
Will Sunn hemp reseed itself?
Sunn hemp itself has a low potential to become a weed, unlike other Crotolaria species. Even after grazing, sunn hemp leaves a substantial amount of organic matter in the field, unlike many other forage crops. It may be necessary to cut and chop up the fibrous stems before the pasture can be replanted.
Where did the sunn hemp plant come from?
Sunn hemp is originally from India and has been grown since the dawn of agriculture. It has been grown as a green manure, livestock feed for forage, hay, and for non-wood fiber. In 1931 USDA proclaimed sunn hemp excellent for building the soil. Since that time the use of sunn hemp in the US was almost unheard of.
What are the benefits of growing sunn hemp?
It provides the benefits of a cover crop such as erosion control, soil improvement, plus suppression of root-knot nematodes. Sunn Hemp is an excellent summer rotation crop following a fall/winter brassica food plot such as Winter-Greens, Beets & Greens, Tall Tine Tubers or even Pure Attraction.
When is the best time to plant sunn hemp?
Placing Sunn Hemp right after corn harvest is a golden opportunity. This window may be tight for many farmers as the Sunn Hemp should be planted by August 25. Sunn Hemp is day-length sensitive. Sunn Hemp planted after Aug. 25 will only get 2 – 3 feet tall.
How many alkaloids are in sunn hemp seeds?
However of the hundreds of compounds in this family, sunn hemp contains only low levels of two to three different alkaloids. Non-ruminants (swine, chickens, and horses) are more susceptible to acute toxicity from ingesting seeds compared to ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats).