Australia has crossed a threshold that each rising agricultural sector should finally attain: it now has a nationwide, evidence-based information for choosing industrial hemp planting seed.
With the discharge of a closing report on the nation’s Industrial Hemp Selection Trials (IHVT) by AgriFutures, Australia’s agricultural R&D and industry-development company, the nation has accomplished a three-year, coordinated set of trials throughout 9 rising areas, from the tropics to Tasmania. Growers, processors and buyers now have onerous knowledge on the place hemp performs, the way it performs, and below what circumstances.
How adaptable?
The IHVT outcomes confirmed that hemp is globally adaptable in precept, however environmentally particular in apply. Genetics developed in China persistently outperformed in northern tropical and sub-tropical areas of the nation, delivering the strongest biomass and grain yields, whereas genetics from Europe and Canada dominated in southern temperate zones, providing larger stability and dependable high quality below cooler circumstances.
Domestically chosen seed strains — varieties trialed and tailored inside Australia — confirmed promise in mid-latitude areas, pointing to future alternatives for home breeding.
Along with varietal outcomes, researchers standardized agronomic settings, together with beneficial planting densities and steering on irrigation methods, which have been all discovered appropriate with site-level changes.
Different key components
Time of sowing strengthened the regional distinctions, based on the report. Within the north, planting in April to Could produced the most effective stands and grain formation; in southern states, November to December sowings delivered optimum efficiency.
Seed high quality proved to be a systemic constraint, with some imported seed tons recording germination charges as little as 14 % and quarantine delays interrupting planting schedules, the report notes.
THC monitoring confirmed that the majority genetics stayed beneath the 1.0 % restrict, however one imported line exceeded the authorized threshold, resulting in crop destruction — a transparent sign that provenance and environmental match matter. The report notes that varietal THC expression can shift below native circumstances, that means business cultivation should embody monitoring, not simply paperwork.
What’s wanted now?
Strategically, the report argues that Australia can’t scale hemp with out fixing three structural points: nationwide seed certification, funding in regionally tailored breeding, and regulatory harmonization throughout states, together with THC sampling and motion of seed. The stories additionally underline that the sector’s future will depend on constant provide — growers want dependable genetics, and processors want predictable manufacturing volumes.
These themes echo what {industry} leaders advised HempToday throughout a survey for the upcoming Australia & New Zealand Hemp Report: growers can’t make long-term selections if every season will depend on imported genetics, inconsistent guidelines or seed of unknown high quality. The IHVT modifications that dynamic. It replaces “trial first, study later” with “knowledge first, make investments with confidence.”
To shut out the hemp analysis trials, AgriFutures will host a nationwide webinar to current closing report outcomes, regional learnings and next-phase analysis: Thursday, 27 November 2025, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. AEDT.
