Location: Soil and Water Management Research
Project Number: 5062-11120-001-004-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Aug 31, 2029
Objective:
1. Develop procedures for characterization of hemp fiber: fiber length, diameter, tensile strength, and hurd particle size.
2. Develop standards for grading hemp fiber to meet American Society for Testing and Materials principles.
3. Design and develop a pilot-scale processing line for hemp fiber.
4. Provide industry engagement and outreach events.
Approach:
For Objective 1, hemp fiber characterization datasets will be generated under controlled lab conditions, covering cultivar, processing method, and geographic source. Testing targets include fiber length, fineness, and tensile strength. Cross-section microscopy will be done to support the assessment of retting efficiency, conducted in collaboration with the USDA/ARS Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) in New Orleans, LA, where equipment for retting under controlled conditions already exists. Status quo fiber samples representing what the industry currently produces will be sourced directly from existing processors rather than reproduced in-house. Initial trials will use industry-sourced samples from Minnesota and other US growers, supplemented by imported reference material from Europe and China and possibly Canada and Turkey.
For Objective 2, the standards scoping work will define the reference-material approach, identify candidate properties for protocol development, and plan the future round-robin instrument comparison.
For Objective 3, modular processes will be developed that address gaps the industry has not solved previously. Each unit operation (bale breaking, decortication, fiber cleaning, scutching, carding, cutting, etc.) is a standalone machine. The existing decorticator and fiber cleaner will be brought into service, with safety retrofits for the fiber cleaner included in scope. Where off-the-shelf machinery does not meet the Center's research needs, the design study will identify opportunities to work directly with equipment vendors on custom development; this is expected to lead, in subsequent years, to the design and procurement of purpose-built processing equipment specified by the Center rather than adapted from existing industry lines.
For Objective 4, a liaison group will be convened in year 1 and at least one joint outreach event with USDA/ARS in a webinar or hybrid format will be conducted. A formal workshop cadence will be established for Years 2 and 3.