Given the growing interest in multipurpose hemp crop, eight monoecious cultivars were
compared in a two-year trial for quantitative and qualitative yield in a Mediterranean environment
characterized by a temperate and humid climate with hot summers. All hemp cultivars were evaluated
for yield potential of (i) seed plus stem at seed maturity, and (ii) essential oil yield from inflorescences
harvested at full flowering. The second goal was set to test the ability of cultivars to supply new
seeds after the removal of inflorescence at full flowering. Among the cultivars, Fedora obtained the
best results for seed (0.79 and 0.52 t ha1) and vegetable oil yield (0.17 and 0.09 t ha1) normally
and with inflorescence removed plants, respectively. Futura, conversely, showed the best results
for inflorescence (3.0 t ha1), essential oil (9 L ha1), and stem yield at seed maturity (8.34 t ha1),
as means across the two years. The cultivars studied generally reached the grain-filling stage during a
period that was drier and warmer than the average of the same multi-year period, and this negatively
affected seed quality. The oil fatty acid composition was mainly composed of polyunsaturated
fatty acids (75% on average) and not affected by the cultivar. In conclusion, although the hemp
grower should always clearly know the main production objective of the crop, the monoecious
cultivars available today allow a multipurpose use of hemp crop, improving the sustainability of the
cultivation activity.
