5. Conclusions

A lot of different factors are influencing both the yield and the quality of essential hemp oil.
The first point to pay attention to is the selection of the strain. Within the broad range of varieties there is also a broad range of different smells. The tested strains Kompolti, Félina 34 and Futura 77 smelled quite pleasent and yielded appropriate amounts, but there might be many other varieties leading to similar or even better results.
Under our conditions we recommand a seed density of 5 kg/ha. At this rate yield is highest, but it is not clear whether it influences the quality.
The prevention of pollination would be another approach to increase the yield. However it is nearly impossible to carry out in the field.
The weather is expected to have a major impact at least on the yield. A fairly dry period between the beginning of female flowering and seed maturity is desired.
A very important point to heed is the harvest time. For a maximal yield the flowers should be harvested when about 50% of the seeds are matured, shortly before seed maturity (75% matured seeds). To gain an optimal scent quality it is recommended to harvest a half to three weeks earlier depending on the strain. If the daily harvest time also influences the yield and the quality has to be tested.
Harvesting of the flowers and separating them from the stems by hand results in a very good smell quality. Harvest by machine is faster, but the distillation of both chopped flowers and stems decreases the quality.
Distillation equipment and water is said to have an impact on the quality, too.
Table 4 summarizes the factors influencing the yield and the quality of essential hemp oil.

Table 4 Factors influencing yield and quality of essential hemp oil






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Abstract

1.Introduction | 2.Material&Methods | 3.Results | 4.Discussion | 6.References | 7.Acknowledgements

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