Weed management in hemp cultivation

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a herbaceous, wind-pollinated annual species that originated in Asia and is now cultivated in more than 30 countries for its fibers, seeds, flowers and leaves (Fike, 2016). As an industrial crop, it can provide a variety of raw materials for numerous industrial applications (Crini et al., 2020). Schumacher et al. (2020) point out that hemp fibers are economically viable and have the potential to be a more environmentally friendly alternative material than cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in the textile industry. The plant is also considered an important candidate for cultivation on poor soils and marginal lands due to its resilience and adaptability, while it can also be used for phytoremediation and bioenergy production (Blandinières and Amaducci, 2022). The suitability of hemp biomass as feedstock for bioenergy production was also recently investigated by Zhao et al. (2020). The seeds of hemp are also known for their nutritional quality and potential functionality for human health and nutrition (Burton et al., 2022). Therefore, the species is reasonably considered as a dynamic multipurpose industrial crop whose economic importance is expected to increase in the coming years (Dudziec et al., 2024).