Hemp Growers Watch for Pests
As Colorado’s industrial Hemp program expands so do the risks associated with the exports of seeds and plants.
The Department of Agriculture is reminding growers that managing the quality of the seed and clones and transplants for export is top priority.
The Ag Information Network’s Bob Larson has more details.
BOB: “ The CDA is monitoring three pests in Colorado that have other hemp growing states on edge. They include the Cannabis aphid, the European corn borer, and the Japanese beetle. The European corn borer infests grain and a wide variety of plants. It was recently added to several state’s hemp quarantines.
The European Corn Borer, as its name implies, is native to Europe. The pest was introduced to North America in the early 1900s and has spread westward to the Rocky Mountains. ECB is now found in Eastern Colorado and along the Front Range.
Several states west of the Rocky Mountains have quarantines against the insect largely due to its attraction to hemp. “
The CDA inspects the seeds and plants and issues a phytosanitary certificate stating that they are free of specific quarantine pests to meet restrictions. The goal: No hemp plants and seeds are ever shipped out of state, before it is confirmed the shipment is free of any “pests and diseases” that are a concern of the importing state or nation.
Exports of Colorado industrial hemp plant and seed expanded tenfold in the last year according to the ag department.
