Physiology, yield and nutritional contribution of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) grown under different fertiliser types and environments

The eradication of poverty and malnutrition are some of the main goals set by the United Nations through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. Humans have traditionally used Cannabis sativa L. for a variety of purposes, including medicine and as a raw ingredient for goods with added value such as drinks, cakes, and oil. The crop has gained considerable popularity in various industries due to its usage either as a fresh or processed material. The growing demand for Cannabis sativa's raw materials for a range of applications has led to a steady increase in its cultivation. Because of this constant growing demand, it is essential that growers have a thorough awareness of all environmental conditions, particularly light intensity and the right fertiliser, for improvement of plant growth, yield and quality. Therefore, the study objective was to investigate the combined effect of different fertiliser types (chemical and organic) on the yield and biochemical constituents of Cannabis sativa under varying growing environments (shade net and open space), to enable comparative analysis to be done to assist growers in producing high-quality Cannabis sativa crops for commercial purposes. Fresh and freeze-dried samples were used to measure the yield and biochemical constituents. The treatment combination of shade net and chemical fertiliser resulted in superior inflorescence water content (40.2 g) and total phenols (14.7 GAE/100 g DW) compared to other treatments. Potassium content (989 mg/100 g DW) was superior under the treatment combination of chemical fertiliser and the open space environment compared to other treatments. Therefore, growers must consider the combination of light intensity and chemical fertiliser for yield and quality maximisation, whether under shade net or open space growing environments.