According to the Augusta Free Press, two researchers, Shane Ross and Hussein Foroutan, from Virginia Tech and University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who are studying the transport of pollen from genetically modified hemp and switchgrass were awarded a $500,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To learn how the plants’ pollen travels, the team will apply mathematical models and drones.
They are also collaborating with a professor from the University of Tennessee, Neal Stewart, who, in his previous project, genetically modified male switchgrass.
A professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, David Schmale, said that to establish appropriate isolation distances for genetically modified crops and make useful regulatory decisions, the use of mathematical models is very vital.
For the future of the hemp industry, it is important to understand how pollen travels in plants so as to prevent unintended cross-pollination between different hemp plants such as those for CBD and fiber, said Shane Ross, a professor in the Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering in Virginia Tech College of Engineering to the Augusta Free Press.
The team’s primary goal is to understand precisely how pollen is transported, Ross added.
According to Ross, the drones will be installed with sensors responsible for collecting pollen and forecasting pollen movements at different altitudes and distances between the source fields. The drones will also have a light, 3-D –printed sampling device with an Impinger responsible for taking air and depositing it in fluid form. With the help of large eddy simulation (LES) models developed by Foroutan, they can understand how microscopic life travels. LES provides a realistic picture of the atmospheric condition at each location and time by using a mathematical technique to resolve all essential turbulent atmospheric motions.
Ross added that before the models can forecast the movement and final destination of the pollen, the model takes into account the size of the pollen grain, the state of the wind, humidity, and temperature of that day. The study will also have significant effects on the agricultural laws and regulations on fungicide and herbicide movement. Because without proper controls in place, these chemicals can cause damage to the neighboring farms.
Initially, the researchers were only focusing on switchgrass but added hemp to the study because of the increased interest in hemp, especially hemp for CBD. It should be noted that this type of research has never been carried out on the hemp crop.
Analysts believe hemp industry players like Green Hygienics Holdings Inc. (OTCQB: GRYN) and Hemptown USA are eagerly awaiting the findings of this research since it will shed light on how far each hemp farm should be from the next in order to avert cross-pollination issues.
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