Dear Scott: Thanks for the URLs. Both the Ukraine and Colorado sites illustrates my point. "The annual increment of such poplar plantations on irrigation areas of the Kherson Region varies from 20 to 40 m3/ha, depending on fertility, planting pattern and irrigation practice. Taking an average annual increment of 30 m3/ha, and a poplar wood density of 420 kg/m3, we obtain an amount of wood of 12.6 ton per ha per year. A feasibility study for such poplar plantations has shown that the costs of the wood were four to five times higher than those of aspen wood logged and delivered to the Kherson Pulp and Paper Mill from Central European regions of Russia. Hemp is promising as a raw material for pulp and paper. Southern hemp is most suitable for growing under the conditions of Ukraine, since it is hardy, suffers little damage from pests and diseases, and can be grown in monoculture for many years. At present its yield of dry stems is 8-10 ton/ha in many areas, which is four to five times more than the average annual increment in Ukranian forests and approaches the increment of the most productive plantations of fast growing poplars." Therefore, as you can see Scott: Hemp (single species) at 8-10 tons presently and 12-14 tons/ha hopefully sometime in the future. Wood (single species poplar) is 12.6 tons/ha/year (sometimes 16.8 tons/ha/yr). Wood (multi-species hardwoods-natural) 2 tons/ha/yr in Ukraine. Therefore, with current technology in the Ukraine, poplar produces MORE dry mass annually than hemp! Your claim IS NOT valid for a single-species tree crop like poplar! Your claim is valid for a multi-species natural hardwood stand. ========= In Tasmania, hemp has produced yields of 8.0, 8.4 and 6.1 ton/ha of stem dry matter. http://206.61.184.43/olsen/HEMP/IHA/V1N1/iha0008.html In the Netherlands, Initially a yield of 10 ton/ha of stem dry matter is expected. http://206.61.184.43/olsen/HEMP/IHA/V1N1/iha0009.html ============= To be 4 to 1 as you said, hemp would have to produce 50 tons/ha/yr (without herbicides). However, the Colorado site only indicates 2.8 tons/ha/yr for hurds (fiber for paper) plus 1.2 tons/ha/yr for "fiber". Taken together, this makes about 4 tons/ha/yr of dry biomass! In Tasmania, 6 to 8 tons/ha/yr In The Netherlands, 10 tons/ha/yr In the US, up to 18 tons/ha/yr (http://www.betterworld.com/ahm/chap2.htm3) I assume Kentucky might be able to produce 6 to 18 tons/ha/yr. I am willing to bet that without herbicides, past production was not close to your claim of 50,000 kg/ha/yr! Industrial hemp has many good points. But please do not damage its reputation with "documented" claims that have not been realized. David South ============================== >> >Hemp is a real alternative to pesticide/herbicide soaked single species >> >pine plantations. Hemp produces 4 times as much fiber per acre annually. >> >> Dear Scott: >> >> I believe your statement about a single species hemp is a little out of date >> (USDA Bulletin 404: 1916). >> Can you provide a current reference to show the current production kg/ha/yr >> of hemp >> with no herbicides? If not, please stop using a reference that compares >> hemp to a natural stand containing multiple species hardwoods (414 kg of >> fiber/ha/yr) >> instead of a single species pine plantation. >> > >From: Scott Banbury <sbanbury@magibox.net> >Check out these: > http://206.61.184.43/olsen/HEMP/IHA/V1N1/iha0007.html > http://www.calyx.net/~olsen/HEMP/newhempr.html > >which discuss programs in the Ukraine and Colorado respectively. >Production rates of 12 (realized) to 50 (projected in Kentucky) metric >tons per ha per year are documented. Some other sites, industrial and >"populist" are these: > http://www.betterworld.com/ahm/chap2.htm > http://www.hemptech.com/ > >http://www.ran.org/ran/ran_campaigns/rain_wood/wood_con/hemp_fact.html#pagetop > > David South School of Forestry Auburn University, AL 36849-5418 A member of the Forester's Chapter for ZPG dsouth@forestry.auburn.edu 334-844-1022 334-844-1084 (FAX) As always, views expressed here are my own (and I am not speaking on the behalf of others). I use only 100% post-consumer paper in my home printer. (discarded used office paper printed on one side) 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. ========================================================================= Support Zero Population Growth for the United States http://www.igc.apc.org/zpg/index.html
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