Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:47:34 -0500
From: "Glenn D. Mroz" <gdmroz@MTU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hemp vs. Tree discussion
Forest Netters
Interesting discussion but..... I suggest that references be provided when
posting information that is presented as a statement of fact rather than
opinion. It adds rigor to the discussion.
glenn
> One gets the impression that Matt Nespeca did not even read the post
> he supposedly replied to! I thought Thomas Kimmerer's post was very
> accurate in pointing out that industrial hemp has no drug (i.e.
> "marihuana") properties (otherwise "ditchweed" hemp in the midwestern
> U.S. would be a haven for druggies), and in pointing out that most
> forest land is not fertile enough to grow hemp profitably. I wasn't
> aware that hemp was a heavy nitrogen-demanding species; at least in
> the midwest (where hemp was produced in abundance for the WWII war
> effort) it might be economical, compared to the low return farmers are
> getting for many food crops. I think three simple facts make further
> studies of hemp production in the US worthwhile: hemp used to be
> (pre-1900's) the #1 fiber source in the world, the US is a net
> importer of raw fiber, and fiber production from hemp may require
> fewer chemicals (at least at the processing end, but maybe more at the
> cultivation end?). There seems to be a dearth of reliable information
> on this topic. Let's not erect boogie-men (or boogie-plants, as it
> may be) before we even know what the potential benefits or drawbacks
> are.
>
> Andrew Gray
> graya@fsl.orst.edu
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:53:48 -0500
From: Geza Ifju <ifju@VT.EDU>
Subject: Home Page
The Department of Wood Science and Forest Products of Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University has a comprehensive homepage. You are
invited to visit it at the following URL site
http://www.vtwood.forprod.vt.edu (address corrected later)
------------------------------------------------
Geza Ifju
Professor and Dept. Head
Wood Science and Forest Products
210 Cheatham Hall
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0323
FAX: 540-231-8176
Phone: 540-231-8853
e-mail ifju@vt.edu
URL http://www.vtwood.forprod.vt.edu
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 08:55:21 -0600
From: David South <dsouth@FORESTRY.AUBURN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hemp vs. Tree discussion
Forest Netters
Let us settle this hemp vs. tree thing "mono e mono."
There are several "fiber farms" that are being established throughout the
US. These fiber farms use trees to produce fibers for making paper. Why
not invite the hemp farmers to grow hemp at the "fiber farms" using their
methods alongside the tree farms. An inventory of inputs could be taken and
compared at the end of the tree rotation. How much energy used, how much
chemicals used, and how much fiber produced?
Likewise, the hemp/kenaf farmers could invite the "fiber" farmers to come
and grow trees alongside the hemp/kenaf fields. Do we have any takers, or
do we just continue to rely on supposition?
(By the way, the interest in hemp/kenaf seems to peak about every 20 years.
In the 1950's Kimberly-Clark grew kenaf in Alabama as a potential source of
wood fiber).
David South
School of Forestry
Auburn University, AL 36849-5418
USA
dsouth@forestry.auburn.edu
334-844-1022
334-844-1084 (FAX)
http://www.forestry.auburn.edu/coops/sfnmc/sfnmc.html
=========================================================================
The world population is expected to double by the year 2100.
Therefore the annual demand for wood for energy (etc.)
will increase and might double (to more than 7 billion m3/yr).
To provide plantation wood for people in the future,
support the planting of trees on pastureland.
Set a goal of converting 8 million ha of pastureland/yr for the next 55 years.
This would increase tree plantations to about 5% of the world's landbase.
=========================================================================
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 16:06:30 +0000
From: Jim Carlson <sylvan@ROSENET.NET>
Subject: Hemp vs. Tree discussion
Hello all,
I feel that most commercial fiber producers generally welcome alternatives to
conventional sources, particularly if they can:
1. be grown on poor quality land unsuitable for other uses.
2. be grown for equal or greater profit.
3. show a plant's adaptability to a particular site's environment.
Like others in this discussion, I feel that the relationship between hemp and
marijuana is tenuous at best.
For alternative crops such as hemp, kenaf, etc. I tend to favor an approach
such as mixed plantations, i.e. agro-forestry. Intercropping of trees and
hemp, for example, could provide short and long term cash flow and perhaps
provide habitat as well. There are also agro-forestry systems that include
"edible landscapes" for many wildlife species. The actual mix depends, of
course, on the site as well as the landowner's objectives.
Trees have long been recognized as having beneficial effects far beyond volume
growth and/or the bottom line. Their integration into an agricultural
"landscape" may or may not be done with a financial end result in mind.
A bit of creativity with fiber cropping could go a long way toward utilization
of land that is currently unproductive. Then maybe we'd be able to leave old
growth alone.
----
SYLVAN OPTIONS
Jim Carlson, Owner
P.O. Box 506 Voice: (503) 679-3161
Dillard, Oregon 97432 USA E-Mail: sylvan@rosenet.net
------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 12:58:24 +0800
From: Nelson Wong <nelson@MGATE.MTC.COM.MY>
Subject: kenaf (fwd)
To members of the forest list.
I am forwarding this enquiry to the list in view of the present
discussion on hemp and trees. Please forward all responses directly to
Mr. Carlos Pascoal Neto. Thank you.
Nelson Wong
MTC
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 10:58:04 +0100
From: Carlos Pascoal Neto <CNETO@dq.ua.pt>
To: wood-science@unixg.ubc.ca
Subject: kenaf
I'm doing some structural characterization of macromolecular
components of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), variety Salvador, which
has been recently introduced in Portugal as alternative fibre crop.
The results obtained for lignin and hemicelluloses structures are
really different from the few published results on this subject.
Also, the few published results on kenaf lignin structure are not
very consistent. For example, the variablity of proportions of p-
hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl is significant.
Is it possible to have such extreme variations in structural features
of kenaf of different varieties and planted in different conditions?
I would like to have some feedback for people working on this subject.
Carlos Pascoal Neto
Universidade de Aveiro
Departamento de Quimica
3810 AVEIRO, PORTUGAL
Fax: +351 34 25143
Tel: +351 34 370693
e-mail: cneto@dq.ua.ptCarlos Pascoal Neto
Department of Chemistry - University of Aveiro,
3800 Aveiro, Portugal
Tel: +34 370693
Fax: +34 25143
e-mail: cneto@dq.ua.pt
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