Crops Hemp (Cannabis sativa)

Further Information



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Common Name	HEMP
Latin binomial	Cannabis sativa
Plant family	Cannabaceae
Names in other languages	chanvre cultive (F), kulture hanf (D), canamo cultivado (E)

Hemp ( Cannabis sativa) has become notorious during recent years as an illicit source of narcotic drugs. In fact, the species is versatile: the stem is used for fibre production, the seed yields an oil, while the narcotic resins are produced in glands on the upper leaves and floral areas. Different varieties and methods of cultivation are used, depending upon the purpose for which the crop is to be grown; generally commercial cultivation in Europe is confined to fibre production, to which the climate is best suited. Hemp fibre has traditionally been used for sailcloth, cordage, twine, sacking and for coarser textiles; more recently it has been found to be suitable for pulping for the production of specialist papers and in the reconstitution of recycled paper. The seed oil, when obtained, is generally used in the preparation of paints, varnishes and soft soaps. The wide variety of possible uses, and the need to examine alternative sources of supply for materials currently produced from petrochemicals, has resulted in a resurgence of interest in hemp in Western Europe, and the area grown is now increasing.

This entry forms part of the publication Crops for Industry and Energy in Europe

References:

Carruthers, S P Miller, F A & Vaughan, C M A (Eds) (1994) Crops for Industry and Energy. Report No 15. Reading: Centre for Agricultural Strategy

Chisholm, C J (Ed) (1994) Towards a UK Research Strategy For Alternative Crops. Silsoe: Silsoe Research Institute.

Kirby, R H (1963) Vegetable Fibres: botany Cultivation and Utilisation. London: Leonard Hill.

Langer, R H M & Hill, G D (1991) Agricultural Plants (2nd Edn) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Zohary, D & Hopf M (1988) Domestication of Plants in the Old World. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Industrial Crops and Products. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science B V

Relevant EC funded projects:
AIR-0367
FAIR-0195
FAIR-0396
FAIR Proposal 3784