University of Missouri Extension recently released a list of pesticides approved for industrial hemp production in Missouri.
In Missouri, hemp producers are allowed to use pesticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use on industrial hemp and registered with the state of Missouri, says Justin Keay, MU Extension field specialist in horticulture.
This new list makes it easy for producers to find approved pesticides for managing hemp pests, Keay says.
Contracted buyers may have additional restrictions on pesticide use. To guarantee acceptance at harvest, growers should confirm pesticide approval with buyers prior to use, he says.
Industrial hemp grown in rotation with conventional crops has the potential for residual herbicide contamination. Some herbicides carry over for many years, so it is important to know how the land was previously used and if treatment is necessary before planting hemp.
“Industrial Hemp Pesticides in Missouri” is available for free download at extension.missouri.edu/g4705.
According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri growers planted 850 acres of hemp in 2020, the year commercial industrial hemp production became legal in the state.
Of that, 60% was intended for floral biomass material for cannabidiol production and 30% was for fiber, says Ryan Milhollin, MU Extension state specialist in agriculture business and policy.
The state’s Industrial Hemp Program, which regulates production and sale of viable industrial hemp, requires two types of permits for registered growers. Milhollin says 202 Missouri producers registered to produce industrial hemp in 2020.
Learn more in the MU Extension publication “Missouri Industrial Hemp Production,” available for free download at extension.missouri.edu/mx73.
