Phenotyping of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) genotypes with different growth habits

Alison R. Gill; Beth R. Loveys; Christopher J. Brien; Nathaniel Jewell; Bettina Berger; Timothy R. Cavagnaro; Rachel A. Burton

doi:10.1071/FP24266

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Next Contents Vol 52(8)

Phenotyping of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) genotypes with different growth habits

Alison R. Gill

^A , Beth R. Loveys ^A , Christopher J. Brien

^A ^B , Nathaniel Jewell ^A ^B , Bettina Berger ^A ^B , Timothy R. Cavagnaro

^A ^C and Rachel A. Burton

^A ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A The Waite Research Institute and School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.

^B Australian Plant Phenomics Network, The Plant Accelerator, The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.

^C College of Science and Engineering, and Office of Graduate Research, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Portfolio, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: rachel.burton@adelaide.edu.au

Handling Editor: Kang Yu

Functional Plant Biology 52, FP24266 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24266

Submitted: 30 October 2024 Accepted: 8 July 2025 Published: 25 July 2025

© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) has gained renewed scientific and agricultural interest worldwide as a multi-use, high-value crop, with products spanning textile, clothing, medicinal, food, and construction industries. Cannabis exhibits broad genetic diversity and high phenotypic plasticity, with strong genotype × environment interactions, resulting in varied aboveground growth habits from tall and thin to short and bushy. Here, we compared the growth and response to water deficit over time in seedlings of two tall, thin French dual-purpose industrial hemp genotypes, Felina 32 and Ferimon 12, and one short, bushy Chinese dual-purpose genotype, Han NE, using state-of-the-art non-destructive phenotyping and automated gravimetric watering systems. Despite the different growth habits, growth patterns were remarkably similar. Water deficit consistently reduced shoot and root dry weight, plant height, number of leaf pairs, CO₂ assimilation, and stomatal conductance in all three genotypes. Han NE showed potential for greater water use efficiency, possibly linked to the shorter bushy growth habit, but further research is needed to evaluate varying growth habits within different environments and over the entire plant lifecycle. This study provides valuable insights into diverse hemp genotypes to inform field-based agronomic decisions and targeted breeding programs.

Keywords: Cannabis sativa, drought stress, genotype-by-environment interactions, growth analysis, growth habit, industrial hemp, non-destructive phenotyping, water deficit, water use efficiency.

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