b'NEED AN ALTERNATIVE FOR PAPER, TEXTILE AND PLASTIC?HEMP MAY BE THE SOLUTION TO A LOT OF OUR CHALLENGES.BY: MARCEL BRUINSN eed a substitute for paper? Tryillegal at the federal level. Despite uncer-hemp. Searching for an alterna- tainties, some companies were doing tive to plastic? Look at hemp. Asrelatively good business. That created a crop, industrial hemp has many uses,expectations that once the crop is legal, it including paper, textiles, biodegradablewould be a big and lucrative business. The plastics, construction, health food, andgreen rush attracted many new entrants fuel. The crop can be used to produceinto the hemp industry including in the strong, durable and environmentallyareas of breeding and seed production. friendly plastic substitutes, and thou- There was obvious need for information, sands of products made from petrole- knowledge of plant breeding concepts um-based plastics can be produced fromand seed production practices and how hemp-based composites. And with morethese are applied to hemp.and more countries legalizing the use of recreational, and especially the medicalES: THIS IS THE SECOND EDITION. use of cannabis, the interest in the cropWHAT WERE THE EXPERIENCES has been soaring. Therefore, it comes asWITH THE FIRST EDITION?no surprise that also education efforts inRG:The experience with the first edition this sector are stepping up.was overwhelmingly positive. We filled One of those courses is the annualthe class with motivated participants Hemp Breeding and Seed Productionand brought in the leading experts from course which will take place on Octoberacademia and industry. The course eval-27-29, 2020. The course was developed byuation showed a great level of satisfaction.the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology CenterThe organization of the courseRale Gjuricand will be online (held remotely) via abrought interesting challenges. We orig-Zoom conferencing platform. inally targeted around 65 participants. In With the increased focus on breed- the end, we had 165 participants and anin hemp breeding and seed production. It ing for industrial hemp and cannabis,additional 200 on the waiting list. We hadattracted a much wider audience. We had European Seed spoke with Rale (Radia)to change the venue and adjust the logis- representatives from governments, seed Gjuric, former Director of the UC Davistics to accommodate such a great numbercertification agencies, hemp producers Plant Breeding Academy, to get his takeof participants. The level of interest wasand processors, etc. It may have been the on the ins and outs of this new course andunprecedented, and the excitement andfirst course of this kind.the risen interest in the crop. enthusiasm exhibited by both partici-pants and instructors during the two-dayES: WHAT WILL PARTICIPANTS EUROPEAN SEED (ES): RALE, WHYcourse was palpable, says Julie Tillman,LEARN?WAS IT NECESSARY TO DEVELOPProgram Representative. RG:We cover lots of ground. The lectures SUCH A COURSE IN THIS PERIOD? range from understanding secondary RALE GJURIC (RG):We have been watch- ES: WHO IS THE COURSE INTENDEDmetabolites (cannabinoids, terpenes, etc.), ing the development in the hemp industryFOR? seed physiology, intellectual property pro-for some time. The crop was legal in someRG:The course was intended for individ- tection, seed certification. The core topics states, illegal in others, and completelyuals and companies involved or interestedare covered extensively. Hemp breed-12IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'