Identifying and Separating Male and Female Hemp Plants

Hemp plants, part of the cannabis family and closely related to marijuana, have long been proven to have several medical and industrial uses. The state of South Carolina has recently legalized the plant, thus providing an opportunity for local farmers. However, the presence of even one male plant can significantly decrease the entire crop\u27s overall cannabinoid yield through pollination. As a result, farmers are searching for simpler ways to identify and separate the male plants in the field. The first method of experimentation involved attempting to locate any differences between the two genders. Two mature plants of each gender were acquired and subsequently photographed under various lighting conditions and color filters. The images were subsequently run through an image-processing software. With the help of a local farmer, the progress of hemp plants over the course of a month beginning from germination was able to be documented on a weekly basis. The plants in the field were photographed with different color filters as well. Unfortunately, no differences between the two plant genders were able to be found through the color filters, but clearer, more visible differences were able to be observed and distinguished. A solution was therefore proposed to attach a zoom lens to a DJI drone and fly it in straight lines across a field yet unable to be tested due to the project\u27s resources and time constraints