Alabama A&M University is one of five universities in the state doing research that hasn’t been done in the country for decades.
Researchers are growing industrial hemp with the goal of using its stalks for fiber. That fiber can be used for the development of industrial products, like for making cars.
The researchers just planted seeds last week and they have eight different types of seeds to plant over about five acres. Part of their research involves figuring out what type of seeds survive best in Alabama.
“Fiber is used in auto manufacturing cars, it’s used to make biodegradable material,” said Dr. Ernst Cebert with AAMU. “We can actually create a supply chain in the state to grow it, process it, create the materials that the auto industry would use.”
This was all made possible by the Farm Bill that legalized hemp. It’s mostly grown for CBD, but AAMU is growing industrial hemp for its fiber.