Evaluation of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) Quality Parameters for Building Material from Foam Gypsum Products

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an agricultural crop that can be used as a building material in combination with foam gypsum. The hemp varieties were sown in the sod calcareous soils of Latvia. Complex fertilizer was added before sowing N - nitrogen fertilizer rates - N-0 control, N-60, and N-150 kg . ha(-1). Average dry matter (DM) yield for the hemp variety was from 9.1 to 11.5 t . ha(-1), shive total was from 7.4 to 11.6 t . ha(-1) which is a good result and is dependent on the amount of N supplementary fertilizer applied. The nitrogen fertilizer rate increase from N0 to N150 kg ha(-1) provided a significant (p < 0.05) increase in DM for both varieties of hemp. Nitrogen fertilizer rates had a positive significant effect on the shives content of the hemp varieties. A composite building material, that consists of foam gypsum as a binder for hemp shives or woody core of hemp stalk with a volume density 400 - 450 kg m(-3) has a successful application as sound and heat insulation materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as a building material resource.