LU’s Hemp Institute: Past, Present and Future

In October, Babu Valliyodan, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular biology and genomics and chair of the Lincoln University (LU) Hemp Institute, spoke at the National Cannabis Research Conference (NCRC) in San Diego, California. His presentation focused on how his team is developing varieties of hemp capable of thriving in the diverse agricultural production regions of Missouri.

"At present, we are one of the leading industrial hemp research stations or research centers in the country," said Valliyodan, speaking about the LU Hemp Institute. "Missouri was number two in fiber hemp production during the last part of the 1800s, so that means we have the genetic potential here."

Though Missouri farmers had historically grown hemp through the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the Marihuana Tax Act effectively banned the crop in the 1930s. When Missouri legalized hemp production again in 2018, the crop had been out of commercial production for so long that farmers didn't have access to varieties of hemp suited to the state's growing conditions. That's where Valliyodan and his team come in.

Before his work with hemp, Valliyodan worked for 12 years as a soybean geneticist. In many ways, his continuing work with legume genetics has provided a map for his team's research with hemp: plant the crop around Missouri, identify which varieties grow best in each region and collaborate with farmers to test findings.

"Hemp is just like a soybean forty years back," Valliyodan joked.

Valliyodan started by importing foreign hemp varieties from Canada, China, France and Poland, among other countries, which he then compared with native Missouri samples. Despite the longtime ban, hemp has persisted in wild varieties known to farmers as ditch weed or ditch hemp. Valliyodan's team compared foreign varieties with these wild Missouri breeds, as well as with samples taken in nearby states, to determine which traits allow a plant to thrive in the Midwest.

Once researchers determine the genes responsible for desirable traits, they use that information to develop their own varieties maximizing yield, maturation rate, environmental tolerance and other characteristics helping farmers get more value from their crop.

"We look at its genetics, physiology and biochemistry and see: can we develop a variety with that genetic information?" said Valliyodan.

At the NCRC, Valliyodan's presentation focused on cannabis seed composition. Proteins and genes account for seed size, amino acids, fatty acids and protein content - weighty considerations, since one of the primary uses for Missouri hemp is in animal feed. In fact, a USDA-funded research project examining hemp meal for chicken and small ruminant feed is currently in progress at LU.

High levels of glucose and sucrose are desirable in livestock feed, while other sugars should be minimized. With comparable protein content (around 30%) and more than twice the oil (35-40%) compared to soybeans, hemp grain promises big returns for farmers if a Missouri-specific variety can be developed. With the NCRC serving as an intersection between cannabis agriculture, medicine, law, economics and culture, Valliyodan's presentation was positioned as an important component of a broader picture.

Dr. Valliyodan giving his presentation about seed composition in native and cultivated hemp plants.

"It's not a crop to replace soybeans or corn," Valliyodan said. "No - we need all those things. If you use [hemp for] making fiber or making fuel or making feed, you can put that soybean or corn in the food market."

However, as Valliyodan explained in his presentation, hemp has many uses beyond its seeds. Industrial hemp fiber is used in textiles, construction materials and bedding, and the plant can even improve soil quality. Hemp plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the ground, helping support strong roots and healthy soil. One of Valliyodan's graduate students is working on isolating the genes responsible for maximizing hemp plants' carbon storage.

"We can have less carbon [byproduct] with the products like building materials, fuel or feed, with better soil," Valliyodan said. "So that's kind of a big picture of this program."

Today, the LU Hemp Institute is working with Victory Hemp, the biggest hemp seed company in the U.S., as well as with Panda Biotech, the largest processor of hemp fiber. Valliyodan's team collaborates with several industries, three universities and nongovernmental organizations including the Missouri Farmers Union and the Kansas City Black Farmers Association. They also represent Missouri as part of the Multistate Hemp Grain and Fiber Yield Testing Project, in collaboration with more than 20 other universities.

With the genome nearly mapped, the next steps for LU's Hemp Institute are gene editing and molecular breeding -moving from categorizing hemp genes to developing specialized Missouri breeds. One of Valliyodan's graduate students recently recorded the flowering metabolism pathway in hemp. This discovery could allow the team to develop a hemp plant with a flowering period of just 65 to 70 days, avoiding temperature extremes at both ends of the growing season.

"I can proudly say that with my hardworking team at Lincoln, we've built a platform now for industrial hemp," said Valliyodan. "We are the leading program here in the Midwest, and one of the leading programs in the country."

Founded on a startup grant from LU, the Hemp Institute quickly grew with a $5 million grant from the USDA-NRCS Advancing Markets for Producers program. Thanks to Valliyodan and his team of hardworking graduate students, the LU Hemp Institute has been established as one of the country's foremost centers for industrial hemp research. Now, with the hemp genome nearly mapped and the development of new LU hemp breeds in the works, the institute's most exciting developments are still on the horizon.